Welcome to the New Age
by aqualizzard
Summary: Born into an elite family of Souls, Joy knew she was different. She is one of the only humans permitted to live in the new alien society. At 18 she grows tired of being different and runs away in search for other humans. When 22 year old Jamie finds her stranded in the desert, will she be able to live among the humans she has desperately tried to find? BETTER SUMMARY INSIDE!
1. Chapter 1 Prologue

_Light of Joy is a very unusual individual. She's a human born into a family of Souls, and when her mother gave birth to her something happened that caused her body to be unsuitable as a host. Since her father was the President of the Souls, they had the option of keeping Joy as a human. Joy grows up amongst the aliens and finds that she never completely fits in. She's different and continuously wonders if there are other humans out in the world that would understand her. When she turns 18, she finally grows tired of living as an outsider, and decides to leave her home in search for other humans. When she comes across the human society in the desert, 22 year old Jamie saves her. What will happen once she finds the humans? Will they accept her once they learn her history? __Will she finally find the love and acceptance she has been looking for? _Will the souls stop at nothing to find her? Find out in my story Welcome to the New Age

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**I do NOT own The Host. Please insert all other disclaimer stuff here.**

**This is my second fanfic and I should probably be concentrating on my first but OH WELL! **

**I posted a chapter earlier but didn't like it for the beginning so I tried again. **

**Anywayyyy I just loved the Host and the idea popped into my head. Please enjoy and I really hope you like it! **

Prologue

A blinding white light fills my vision as a rough pair of hands force my eyes open. My head rests on a rock as my body lies on dust and cracked Earth. This is the position I thought I was going to die in. The white light must be the path to my end.

"She's not one of them."

I believe its a male's voice who said these words. I can barely tell; it's as if I'm in a dream coated with haze.

"So she's human?"

Human? It's the word I have been classified as my whole life. It's the label given to me sense birth, but it all seems irrelevant now. I may be the last human on this planet, and I wasted this miracle by dying in the stupid desert. Wasted my life for a fairy tale of other humans in hiding. I gave up everything! My mom and dad who gave up so much to let me live, my home in Washington DC, my social status, the fancy Presidential parties, my whole life.

I feel as if I might cry, but my body has been dried up long before now. Flashes of the past 24 hours travel through my head. The hot sun beating down on me stealing away my last fragments of life. The dust covering every inch of my skin as I fall repeatedly towards the ground. The burning pain that rushed through my hands and knees when I touch the scorching Earth as I struggle to get back to my feet. The last few drops of water slowly cascading down my throat in desperate attempt to rid the horrifying thirst. The last sense of hope escaping my mind. And of course the final fall where I was too weak to continue fighting. The acceptance that I am going to die alone.

"We have to give her water then!"

Water! My throat aches as I imagine the cool liquid traveling down my throat. Hope flashes through me. Maybe I won't die after all! These souls will save me!

"Jamie wait stop!"

This time the haze reveals a female voice. The tone seems so harsh compared to the ones I'm used to.

"I recognize this face. We have to be careful"

"She's human Melanie! We have to save her!"

I feel a hand burrow beneath my hair. It lifts me up so my head is titled. The sudden movement causes my brain to cry out in pain. I desperately want to scream out for them to stop moving me, but my voice seems to be nonexistent.

"Jamie we must listen to Mel before we jump to conclusions."

"If Wanda and Ian were here right now, they would agree with me."

These are very weird Souls. I think they might be arguing, but that's impossible. They must be some intense seekers.

"Jamie I swear I have seen that face before. I don't know if we can trust her... We have to think about what to do."

"We should save her!"

Save me… The grip on my head pulls me higher, and I am suddenly up against a soft cotton wall. He smells like soap and fresh bread.

"They will come looking for her! They might not give up; she might be too important. We will put everyone in the caves at risk. I can't do that to them, to you! The best decision might be to leave her and have them discover her body."

"When Jeb saved you, you put all of us in danger. We didn't know if you would report us to the seekers, but look what happened. You came back to us and we even got Wanda! If we didn't save you, our entire society would be a whole lot worse! We might have all been captured by now trying to get supplies. I probably would have died from infection! She could help us."

The silence that follows is eerie. I begin to think that I actually did die… that the voices were a dream to allow me a brief bit of hope before I actually perished.

"Jamie if we allow her to live, she's your responsibility. You have to make sure she isn't a threat."

A threat? That's what everyone thinks of me as. A threat to their way of life. I will always be different.

"I will."

Just then the hands open my mouth to allow cold water to travel in. I gulp and gasp in relief as it cools my cracked lips and dry throat. I continue to drink until the last drops drip into my desperate mouth. Everything freezes as the water journeys through my body rehydrating me. A small glimpse of strength flashes through me and I am able to lift my body off of the ground. I hear shuffling as the people around me jump away, but the one that helped me stays near.

I prepare myself to open my eyes, but they seem to be glued together. I lift my hands to them and rub. I allow my brain to find the senses to open them again.

The darkness vanishes as I reveal them to my surroundings. It's dusk and the pinks and oranges light up the world around us. Slowly I turn to gaze at my savior. His short black hair is swept up messily to keep it away from his face. It seems to stick out in all different directions as if it hasn't been brushed in a while. I see the tiny freckles that dot his nose, and a smile that seems to fill my own heart with joy. He has a defined jaw, and even though he's lean, his muscles show that he works hard. He's squatting next to me, but I can already tell he's tall. Taller than the average male anyway. He helps me to my feet by easily lifting me up.

Quickly realization crosses his face, and he bends down to pick up the flashlight. He clicks it on and holds it up to his eyes.

I nearly faint at the sight, and my mouth drops in disbelief. My heart seems to stop. There's no silver, no metallic shinning back at me. I have to be dreaming; now that I have found them, they seem even more unrealistic.

"Don't worry. We're human too."

**Please Please Please! Let me know what you think of the idea! What do you think so far? Does it have real potential? I know it's only the prologue but be honest, does this story have a chance? Do you think I have something great going?**

**If not let me know because then I'll just focus on my other story. I had an idea and I thought i might as well roll with it and give it a chance! I'm also open to critique/suggestions if you have any. I can handle it. **

**Review, Fav, Follow! Do whatever! Just please give me insight!**

**Sorry for that... I sounded a little whiney... but again insight... that would be awesome!**

**THANKS for reading! Again hope you loved it! :)**

**Happy creativity and reading everyone!**


	2. Chapter 2 New Life

18 years ago…

The high-pitched screams of a baby fill the hospital room. It's the musical melody of new life arriving into this once violent world. This child will now grow up in peace because our kind has set this planet right. It will never have to live in the past lifestyle of it's native species. We are going to give it the ultimate gift of love, happiness, and harmony.

The healer passes my child to me, and carefully shows me how to hold it properly.

"Now Miss Shimmer, at this stage you must be sure to hold the head securely. They are so fragile this young, especially the head and neck."

It's cloud of blonde hair forms a pillow barrier between my arm and its soft skull. As the baby grows warm and comfortable in my grasp, it's cry soon turns into a delicate coo as it begins to investigate the outside world. It's large, curious, green eyes sweep its surroundings pausing whenever it comes across something interesting. Slowly the baby finds its way to me, and when we lock eyes, a smile instantly forms. Its as if she instinctively knows that I am her mother.

I gaze down at her innocent face, and I know right then I will never let anything hurt her. The emotion that fills my body is extremely overwhelming. I have never felt anything so strong. I know its my love for her, and I never want to loose it. It's one of the best things I have ever experienced.

My husband David aka One Who Sings with Might, walks in beaming down at us.

"Oh my gorgeous wife! Our child is so beautiful!"

He kisses my forehead and then reaches down to gently brush his lips against our baby's cheek.

"What should we name her?"

His eyes are filled with affection and adoration.

"Light of Joy. She will be a new ray of shine that will bring our human life endless happiness."

David brushes the back of my head, and gazes into my eyes with admiration.

"I thinks it perfect. Lovely and perfect. We can call her Joy for short."

I laugh had his constant need to shorten everyone's name. He finds is a waste of time in the brief human life to consistently be saying long names. We are so caught up in the moment we didn't even realize the healers standing next to us.

"Good evening Mr. President."

"Oh thank-you Healers! When will we get a soul for her?"

I notice the change in their expression immediately. Their faces drop and they look sorrowful and uncomfortable.

"Mr. and Mrs. Livingston, we have some unfortunate news. It gives us great pain to have to tell you this."

My heart skips a beat, and the delight that I once had is now fear.

"We might not be able to transfer a soul into your child. We know you had some great difficulty conceiving. You were lucky to even be given the gift of new life, and because of this we have discovered some ill-fated circumstances. Sadly, we are afraid that if we perform the process she might die."

I glance at my husband, and tears are clouding my vision. I feel the drops of water run down my cheek. I still have trouble controlling the strong emotions of the humans. David's jaw is locked and his face is folded with concern.

"Since it is too dangerous to risk the life of a fellow soul, may we suggest some other options regarding the child?"

I stare at my husband until he turns his head to meet my gaze. The conversation that passes through us with just our expressions is amazing. We are both thinking the same thing. We will and cannot lose this miracle. She is too precious and we already love her too much. We will do anything to keep her in our family, even if the options are unimaginable. David only breaks our connection to speak to the healer.

"Anything."

"There is always the first option of letting the baby go to try for another child."

Fresh tears roll down my face. I hear the whimpers escape my mouth, and David pulls me in for an embrace. I feel uneasy and sick. I hold my daughter closer to my chest, protecting her from the potential threat. How could that even be considered an option!?

"Absolutely not! What's the next one."

"Well the final option is rare but not completely unheard of. It does include an alarming amount of risks however."

"Go on."

"Now this option might put our kind in danger, for we can't totally predict what will happen. We have hardly ever done this and not a lot of parents choose it. She might be highly unstable, and for these reasons there are precautions to this choice. If in the future she might cause any trouble that puts our race in any form of danger we will have to dispose of her. We believe however, that with good parenting and the right upbringing there will be no problems. Our ways will teach her to be peaceful and she will fit in quite nicely."

The healer flashes us a smile as if to ease the tension in the room. David rubs his forehead to release the stress that has built up inside him.

"Please Healer. What are you implying?"

"The second option is that she remains a human."

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18 years later… Joy's POV

"Joy… Joy… Joy wake up sweety…"

The soft delicate voice echoes through the clouds of my dream state. I'm already slipping through the haze into reality.

"Five minutes…"

I try to fall deeper into the fog again; into the world where I belong. Where other humans exist...

"You are going to be late for school again."

I feel a gentle hand touch my arm and shake me slightly. I turn to my side trying to escape the annoying pull on my arm. Instead of leaving she inches closer tucking my hair behind my ear. I sigh giving up.

"What time is it?"

"7:45…"

"WHAT!" All the senses of daze and fogginess disappear in an instant. My body leaps out of bed, pushing my mom aside abruptly. I trip over one of my shoes on the floor, but the adrenaline in my body helps me recover easily.

"Why didn't you wake me up sooner! School starts in 15 minutes! Ahhh they're going to kill me!"

I finish pulling the shirt over my head, and I struggle putting on my shoe as I hop over to my mirror. I'm atrocious! Ahh I don't have time for this! My shoulder length blonde hair is sticking out is every direction, and there are bags under my eyes from staying up too late at my dad's charity event. I quickly grab my brush and run it through my mess of hair. I put de-bagger under my eyes, and apply a fast coat of eyeliner and mascara. When I finish, I really look decent. My hair falls naturally straight, and my green eyes pop with the liner.

"You looked so peaceful… And Joy! They wouldn't kill you! That's an awful thing to say!"

I roll my eyes as I stuff my toothbrush into my mouth. My mom still doesn't really understand the concept of sarcasm and over-exaggeration.

"I know mom! We talked about this… I was kidding… Remember over-exaggeration."

"I swear Joy, I don't know where you pick up on these human traits."

I glance over and catch her expression right before I go dashing out the door. She looks frazzled and a little confused. I hate upsetting her by acting 'human', but I can't help it. I have always been different! For some reason I just can't adjust naturally to acting like the souls. They are always so perfect, so nice, so honest! I lie, and exaggerate, and get angry… I'm just… human!

"I'm sorry mom. I swear it's not on purpose!"

She looks up at me and grabs my chin. A tiny smile appears on her face, and her eyes reflect love. My weight falls into her as she pulls me into a hug.

"I shouldn't be so judgmental of you Joy. I know you are trying, but know that I love you for you."

I catch a glance at the neon green lights that illuminate from my clock. The numbers read 7:55. I pat my mom's back to finish the hug like I have been doing for 15 years now. She can get a little carried away if I don't stop her. I pull away and grab my heavy backpack.

"Welp gotta go! Bye mom! Love ya!"

At that I race out the door before she can distract me further. If I'm late to class again, Ms. Warn will make me explain to everyone the 'reasoning behind my tardiness'. I mean sleeping in isn't a big deal, but I hate being the center of attention. No one's ever late besides me… They always look at me with non-judgmental eyes, but I know what they are actually thinking. "How strange… How can she be late… How can she be here?"

I practically fall down the stairs as I race along them. One of the disadvantages of having your dad as President is the magnitude of stairs in the white house. Geez they really got stair happy building this thing. At this point I know all the short cuts to avoid the service on the property. We have a few security guards just as a precaution, but they never do anything. Usually the maids stick to the areas around the laundry room and kitchen. I have developed the perfect non-social path. I'm just about the go out the door to my driver when I hear a deep voice.

"Yes I am here to talk to him about very important information ma'am."

"Oh yes, yes. Right this way Sir."

I hear the click of high heels, and the pounding of men's feet travel down the hallway. That's weird… We hardly ever get visitors. My dad usually leaves when he has meetings. I wonder who that could be?

I quickly turn my backpack around and zip it open. I rifle through my belongings until I find my cell phone. 8:01. Well I'm already late might as well soak it up and go and investigate. I stand up and call my inner ninja. I tiptoe after the footsteps that drift closer to my father's office. My feet touch the floor as light as feathers, and I try to stay far enough behind to remain hidden. The clicks stop once they reach the doors leading into the Oval Office.

"Just go right in Sir."

"Thank-you."

The light clicks of heels go scurrying off back in the other direction. A large boom fills the corridor as the doors to the office fall back into place. Carefully I press my ear to the door and listen intently to the conversation inside.

"Hello Seeker Ripples. How is everything?"

"Good Mr. President though there has been another recent occurrence."

Silence follows and I can practically hear my father sighing. See him rubbing his forehead for relief.

"Never a simple hello is it?" Chuckles escape my dad's mouth as he laughs at his own joke.

"I'm sorry Sir." My heart skips a beat, as a large scrape booms through the room from the large chair sliding on the floor. My father stands and I hear footsteps circling the room.

"Where this time?"

"Near the same before. This time in Arizona near Phoenix."

The footsteps stop, and its replaces by the rhythmic tapping of fingers against wood.

"What happened?"

"Nothing too serious. We saw them take a citizen off the street, and we went after them. There was a brief car chase, and a few gun shots. No one was hurt, but we also did not obtain the rebels."

Rebels? What? I feel excitement bubbling up inside me. My ears perk up in anticipation begging for more information.

"Did you see their faces?"

"No Sir. They wore sunglasses."

"We need to fix this Seeker. Have we gotten any new information?"

"Nothing new yet."

I hear my dad sigh in disappointment. I know I should be scared about this. They are taking people from the streets, but I can't help but feel joy and hope. My head is spinning and going a million miles per hour; racing to find any new facts. Can it be true? I'm not the only one? Are they really in Arizona?

"Well I appreciate you telling me this friend. Do you think this is the same work of the resistance?"

"Yes I believe so."

The chair scrapes the floor again as my dad probably prepares himself to sit down.

"It's our duty to stops this violence. It is our obligation as souls to protect this planet and our species against them and their barbaric ways. We must find a way for them to comply with us. Once and for all we must find these…these…"

The next word seems to come in slow motion. Each syllable, each letter, each sound collides with my eardrum. It punches my brain causing me to jump back in awe and disbelief. My heart warms with hope.

"… Humans."

**Again what do you think?! Hope you liked the chapter and Joy! I just want to clarify that the story did jump to before Joy was discovered in the desert. **

**Anyway I am debating whether or not i should do the story in both Jamie and Joy's point of views in different chapters. Like one chapter is Joy and the next is Jamie and then the next is Joy. Does this make sense?**

**The point is what do you all think? Would it make things more interesting hearing for both sides, or should I stick with Joy. I have the plot line for either way. Post opinions in a review or pm me!**

**Review/ Fav/ Follow! Do whatever! If you like the story tell me what you think! Don't you want to find out what happens with Joy? Well then don't be shy and hits those buttons bellow!**

**Thanks for reading so far! Happy reading and creativity everyone! :)**


	3. Chapter 3 The Return

**Hello everyone! Thanks so much for the wonderful support! I'm so happy you are enjoying it, and I'm not just wasting my time!**

**Special thanks to all the people who have favorited and/or followed my story! It's always s encouraging to see that people are actually enjoying my writing.**

**Also special special thanks to April7430, Elena, Anna M. Banana, RainbowTeeth8, 12, and catnip851! Thank-you so much for the reviews! I love hearing your opinions, and getting feedback. It helps so much!**

**Enjoy! :)**

**Jamie POV**

My mind freezes as I feel cloth from a shirt collide with my head. My eyes burst open to darkness, but my hand instinctively pulls out the knife from the hidden hole just besides my bed. My feet are on the ground in milliseconds and my body stands in a defensive position ready for my attacker… a Seeker.

"Woah man chill. It's just me, Isaiah!"

Relief washes through me relaxing all my tense muscles. Should have known. A Seeker probably wouldn't throw my own clothes at me. I roll my eyes as I make my way towards my bed again. Drowsiness begins to consume me with each passing second.

"Really? Its 3 in the morning… go back to bed."

I long for my soft pillow and dreams of living outside the cave again. Don't get me wrong… I love everyone here! Mel, Jared, Jeb, Doc, Wanda, Ian… I just want to be able to live freely! Not like some trapped insects.

"Well you can get your ass back in bed Jamie, but I'm gonna go welcome back Jared and them! See ya!"

"What! They're back! Wait …"

Isaiah's head has already disappeared before I could even finish my sentence. Why am I always the last to know these things? I struggle to get my shoes on as I'm jumping to get the shirt by my bed. I tug the shirt over my head and look down at my leg. Quickly I pull on my shorts to make sure the light scar from my knife incident is covered. Even though it is barely even noticeable, Mel can still detect it… It constantly reminders her that I'm her little brother thus making her believe that I am too young to do anything. That she needs to protect me every second of every day. No matter how hard I try, I'm still only 13 years old in her and everyone else's eyes.

I follow the light mutter of voices down the caves to the unloading dock. Immediately I catch Mel's eyes, and relief overcomes me. I'm still secretly afraid that she won't return one day. A smile instantly fills her face, but there is a hidden message behind it. The smile does not go up to her eyes; they remain sad and worried.

The joy that was on my face slowly melts away. Dread replaces the feeling, and I quickly scan the truck and its surrounding for clues. Mel must detect my reaction because I instantly feel her arms engulf me in a hug.

"Hey bud! Another promise kept as always!"

I feel Jared's strong grip on my shoulder steadying me from Melanie's hug attack.

"Hey there Jamie."

I spot Kyle and Sonny not too far away unloading the truck with boxes of supplies. Doc and Jeb are struggling with carrying the new target souls. A spark of sorrow tugs at my heart; I always feel bad whenever they bring in new victims, Part of the sorrow goes to the soul who will be stripped out and possibly shipped to another planet. Taken from their life here. The other part goes to the human who might never wake up because their mind is lost to the alien forever.

At first the success of the soul stripping was amazing! We had numerous people join our society in the caves. Eventually we began to run out of rooms for all of the new members. Jeb ultimately made us go on a mission to find a cave close enough to be used as housing. Luckily we found one that's only a 5-minute walk. The new people moved into the other caves, and I finally got a room to myself. Though recently I have began to miss the company. The love between Jared and Mel… Ian and Wanda… is a reminder of how lonely I am. I mean dating is hard enough when you're a teenager, but with the human race dying out, it's a little bit more difficult.

Anyway recently finding new humans is getting increasingly challenging. As time passes, so do the last hopes of the fighters. By the time Doc removes the host, the mind is too far buried. They are lost in the depths of emptiness, dead. Now we are lucky to even get one person. When the operation fails, we always put the souls back and return them to their homes. I mean they are passed out literally the whole time; there is nothing the seekers can get from them. Wanda always insists to let them live on peacefully.

Suddenly it hits me with full force. Panic arises in me and I frantically travel from face to face looking for her soft innocence.

"Wanda, Ian. Where are they?"

Mel frowns and anxiety consumes her features. I catch her look over at Jared with questioning eyes excepting him to know what to do. Jared sighs and fakes relaxation. Mel follows his lead and she swooshes my hair like she used to when we were younger.

"Jamie they're fine. Just don't worry about it."

I forgot how good Mel is at lying, but I know better than to trust her. Here she goes again not thinking I can handle it. I swat her hand away and stand as tall as possible.

"Look Mel you can tell me! I can take it."

"Jamie honestly why don't you just go back to bed. Jeb tells me you have field work tomorrow and you should rest up for that."

"Mel stop! I'm not some little kid anymore. I don't need you worrying about me and my reactions all the time!"

Mel sighs as if giving up, and Jared wraps his hand around her for encouragement.

"Hey Mel. Why don't you finish unpacking and I'll talk to Jamie here."

She's shoots him this glare questioning his sanity, but he returns with a look that screams trust me. Reluctantly she nods.

"Don't be telling him anything stupid now!"

She goes to give him a light punch on the shoulder, but he catches her hand and pulls her into his arms. They are suddenly in a deep kiss totally oblivious to the world. Jared pulls away and gives Mel a smirk.

"Do I ever?"

"Hey guys, I'm right here, remember?"

Mel's cheeks are rosy and her eyes are in a daze. It's the look she always has after kissing Jared. It's her look of loooovvveeee. I could say I'm slightly jealous of their relationship, but I know I'm just being stupid. She walks away, and Jared's eyes are piercing into my face.

"Let's go for a walk."

I know he's probably going to try and avoid the subject, so I just jump right in.

"What happened, Jared?"

Jared puffs out air and gazes towards the dark paths looking for the right words. I wish they could just tell me upfront instead of treating me like a delicate baby.

"Ian and Wanda were held up."

"Jared stop with this shit. Just tell me plain and simple what happened."

He gives me a stern look, and nods his head.

"Fine. Seekers caught us taking a body from a parking lot. During the chase, Ian and Wanda made it so the Seekers were just following them. Kyle and I were able to get away easily, but Ian had to drive away from the caves. He didn't want them to find the community. We are almost positive they got away just fine. Ian and Wanda just needed to stay back long enough just to make sure they are safe and in the clear. "

Jared finishes and his eyes search my face for any emotional signs.

"Well we have to go find them. See if they are ok. We should go now!"

I turn about to run to the truck myself, but his strong grip is already around my arm.

"No Jamie, the best we can do is wait. They're fine! Ian and Wand will be back in no time."

I want to contradict him, to tell him he's wrong. The best we could do is fight for our kind and go help them! However, I can't. He's right. I'm overreacting to the situation, just like a kid would.

We sit in awkward silence for a while, and I hear Jared's foot playing with a tiny pebble.

"I should have come with you guys…"

"You wouldn't have made a difference."

"I could have done something!"

He sighs as if giving up, but then his head perks up when he spots something across the field. A sly smile appears on his face.

"Besides if you came, you wouldn't have been able to talk to Jess."

He nudges my arms, and I fall to the side not prepared for the attack. When I recover I spot the figure he was looking at. She's petite, but strong, and her light brown hair flows down in delicate loose curls past her shoulders. Her smile glistens in the dim moonlight as she laughs at a joke. Her name is Jess, and she's one of the new humans that we were able to recover from a soul.

"Jess? What?"

"Dude, come on. It's obvious you're crushing on her. Have you worked your charm on her yet? Or do you need advice from a stud like me?"

Jared laughs, slightly making fun of me. He knows I suck at talking to Jess. I freeze up every time I even get close to her. I decide to fight back.

"Stud? You?"

"Yeah. I mean I was able to land your sister."

I frown in disgust as he winks at me.

"Dude gross… and that's only because she thought you were the last guy on Earth. "

He laughs and rubs my head.

"Touché but you still should talk to her."

Suddenly faint alarms begin to echo through the cave. It's the sound of Seeker patrol vehicles, and it's coming from the city. My heart drops, and I instinctively stand. Jared's on his feet too looking around in panic. What's going on?

**So Jamie has entered the scene ready to live a little!**

**If you like the story, why not let me know?! Don't be afraid to tell me; it won't hurt! **

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**Thanks for reading so far! Happy reading and creativity everyone! :)**


	4. Chapter 4 A Goodbye

I** just want to begin by saying I'm soooo sorry it took so long to update! I have tests and projects and finals coming up! Anyway I hope you like it and aren't disappointed with the chapter!**

**Thanks for all the support! I want to thank everyone who has favorited or followed the story so far. Special thanks to Ayrpluto72, ME4427, RainbowTeeth8, and AliceVienna for their reviews! I love to hear from y'all!**

Joy's POV

The soft blue of my dress consumes my vision as I stare down at it trying to zone out the party around me. It's my 18th birthday party, and my parents insist that we throw one every year. For one, I personally would rather just stay in my pajamas and eat the whole cake myself! Secondly, I just hate dresses. But of course my opinion is not taken into consideration; the human is ignored once again. My parents said that I should be 'social' and 'to appreciate the souls around me'. I mean I try to talk to my classmates occasionally. However at first when I opened my mouth they all seemed to shrink back in horror. I swear they thought I could shoot lasers out of my eyeballs or something. As time went on though they seemed to get used to me. I still don't really talk to many of them however. Most of the time, we don't really seem to click plus I'm kinda really shy.

So now I'm in the corner avoiding contact drowning down champagne that I snuck from the waiter. I scan the room for someone I can at least say hi to, but most of the guests here are my dad's associates. The people I do know are my classmates who I don't really talk to anyway. I guess it's a good thing; if I were to open my mouth right now all I would be able to talk about are the humans in Arizona. My heart flutters just thinking of them. I try to hide my odd smile by sipping on my drink.

All of a sudden blackness fills my vision, and warm soft hands cover my eyes. I gasp and drips of champagne cascade down cooling my leg as the liquid seeps through my dress.

"Guess who!"

I know that voice. Besides it's the first person who has got over the fact that I'm human and talked to me. We seemed to bond instantly. My best friend.

"Hey Katie!"

She lets go and spins me around. Before I can object I am engulfed into a hug. Her dark hair tickles my nose, and she smells like roses.

"Happy Birthday Joy! 18! It's so exciting!"

"Thanks Katie!"

As soon as I am free from her arms, I look around to make sure no one is listening.

"Katie I have to tell you something! I have barely been able to hold it in! But you can't tell anyone!"

Katie's large smile stays glued to her petite face. Her icy light blue eyes pierce into me anxious to hear what I say. She nods agreeing to my terms.

"Ok… I overheard my dad today and he said that there are humans! A whole group of them! A resistance. I'm not the only human out there!"

I continue smiling and brace myself expecting Katie to freak out. Instead her smile fades into a concern frown. Her eyes drop and look for an escape. My heart drops along with her gaze.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

The word comes out as a croak and I know instantly she's lying. That's the thing about souls. You always know when they are lying.

"Katie what is it?"

She opens her mouth but nothing comes out. Its closes again and her eyes look up as if searching for the right words. She gulps loudly.

"I promised I wouldn't say anything."

My mouth drops in disbelief. Katie is hiding something from me? I give her my most desperate look.

"Please Katie tell me!"

She sighs defeated.

"I already know about there being more humans."

"What?!"

"A lot of people know. You're parents made me promise not to tell you about them when we first became friends."

I stare at her in disbelief. I feel the anger begin to bubble up inside of me. How could they? They had no right!

"Joy don't be mad. I'm sure they were just trying to protect you."

I turn and begin to stomp away from Katie. I would rather not have her see me get angry. Besides the only people I want to talk to right now are my parents. I immediately spot them on the stage. They smile to their guests and wave as each person greets them. How could they lie to me? Why did they not tell me? The anger continues but I feel as if I'm going to cry as well.

"Ok Joy! Come up here! It's time to open your present!"

Perfect. I jump onto the stage, and face my parents. I quickly mask my emotions by flashing a fake smile. My mom goes in for a hug but I quickly dodge it.

"Now Joy before we bring out the cake it's time for you to open your first present!"

They hand me a large box wrapped delicately in silver wrapping paper that reflects rainbow light. A ribbon intricately circles the gift, and it leads to a bow that's half the size of the gift. "Happy Birthday Joy" is scripted into the paper in curly handwriting. It's beautiful, and I would feel bad just opening it. I break my gaze from the present to lock eyes with my dad. My fake smile grows larger.

"It's wonderful, but I just remembered I want something more than just a present."

My dad chuckles and rolls his eyes.

"What's that?"

I hold his stare as the words fly out of my mouth.

"Why didn't you tell me that there were other humans?"

The whole crowd gasps and their questioning eyes uncomfortably fly from my father to me. Panic consumes his features. Rushed whispers begin to flow through the crowd. I caught him by total surprise. He tries to hide his alarm by laughing louder. He waves his hands as if telling them to ignore the scene on the stage.

"Oh you know Joy. Always kidding! Bring out the cake! Enjoy as much as you like!"

He quickly waves his hands to rush in the caterers. I glare at him as he pulls me to the corner with my mom in tow.

"Joy, what is on your mind?"

He isn't even angry? His voice is cool and collected. I just shake my head.

"How could you keep the humans a secret from me?"

My mom intersects with an equally cool voice, but she sounds worried.

"Joy we just wanted to protect you."

"Protect me how? By thinking I am the only one of my kind?"

My mom looks down at me confused.

"Joy you are part of the souls. You are not a violent evil human."

My dad lays his hand gently down on my shoulder, and squeezes.

"Yes Joy. We didn't want you thinking you were part of something horrible."

My mom hugs me, but my arms stay lip down by my side. They swing lifeless in her strong embrace. She pulls back and looks at me.

"We can have this talk later. Now we must act like the souls we are. Calm down and lets not be rude to the guests."

I roll my eyes. They really don't get it. I am not like them. I am full of emotions. I don't care if I'm rude right now. I want answers!

"Excuse me."

The voice is deep, and a hand cloaked in black leather lands on my dad's shoulder.

"I'm sorry to interrupt Mr. President, but is everything ok."

The Seeker's dark brown eyes look at me worryingly. They squint expecting me to lash out. The Seeker is named Tuck. He has been checking up on me every year since I was born. He continuously makes sure I am not a threat to society. He runs his hands through his light blond hair. He gently pulls my parents aside and begins to whisper. He doesn't think I can hear, but I am an excellent eavesdropper.

"Protocol states that if she lashes out she must be taken in for questioning. We don't want that."

"We promise, it was nothing. She means no harm."

"I'm sure she is not a threat. Just make sure she continuous to follow our ways."

"We know. We will talk to her. It was an innocent act."

The quick harsh whispers cut into my ears. My heart sinks. I gaze over my parent's faces. The lines over their features are full of concern and fear. Fear that they will lose me to the Seeker. Guilt consumes my brain. How could I be so selfish? I cause my parents so much stress with my outbursts. They love me so much, and they only want whats best. They just want everyone else to see the good in me, and I seem to mess up their efforts. I suddenly feel completely stupid for my actions. A complete and total idiot. I quickly run over to the Seeker.

"I'm sorry. It was all a misunderstanding. I promise I am not a threat. I was being emotional and not thinking of my actions. I will try to be more like a Soul."

His eyes drill into me. He debates whether or not to trust my words. I try to communicate trust with my gaze. He nods.

"Very well. We all know you are a kind person Miss Joy, but you must learn to control your emotions more carefully"

He walks away briskly. Probably relieved he did not have to cause a scene.

"I'm so sorry."

My mom and dad hug me.

"It's ok darling. You are only human. You will get the hang of our ways soon. Don't worry."

At that they give me one more smile, and then join the rest of the crowd for some cake.

I feel the tears begin to prick the back of my eyes. I quickly blink them away before anyone could notice. Realization begins to haunt my thoughts. They're right, I am only human. I can't fit in here, with them. I only cause too much stress for everyone. My parents, my classmates, the seeker. I just don't belong, and I never will! I quietly slip out of the ballroom into the empty hallway. I silently run to my room. I have a couple hours until they'll notice I'm missing.

I click on my computer, and it shines back at me with life. I pull up the bus schedule, and find one bus leaving for Phoenix in an hour. It's perfect.

I rip off my dress, and throw it across the room. I smile at it feeling extremely relieved to get out of the torture cloth. I practically throw on jeans and a t-shirt while I'm waiting for the bus schedule to print. I shove important items into my backpack. Extra clothes, food, water. I scrunch as much as I can into it until its almost bursting. I then pull out my special eye contacts my parents made for me. They make me look like a soul so I won't be questioned if I go out on my own. Though I hardly ever use them because everyone knows me as the President's human daughter. I also hardly ever go out. When I zip it shut, it seems extra loud. As if warning me this is my final chance to not go through with my plan.

If I fail they will for sure think I'm a threat. My body trembles at the thought, but I shake my head of the horrible images. I'm sure of this. I will find them! I will belong! I will finally be normal! I delete my history search on my computer before moving on to my next task.

I pull out a pen and a sheet of paper. The blank white sheet taunts me daring me to continue. A breath flows into my body giving me strength for my next action

_Dear Mom and Dad,_

_ I'm sorry I can't be who you want me to be. I just can't seem to fit in here._

_ I love you with all my heart._

_ Your Daughter,_

_ Light of Joy_

A tear breaks through my eyes, and it smacks the paper. The fresh water causes the small area to wrinkle slightly. I brush my other tears away, and fold the letter. I place it on my pillow.

I turn, and pause by the open door. I study my room. This is the last time I'll ever be in here. My heart deepens in sadness. I mentally say goodbye and close the door to my old life.

Mindlessly I follow the path I take almost every day to the grounds outside. Once the darkness consumes me I'm running full speed to the gate surrounding the grounds. All the security is at the party so I'm not worried about running into anyone. When I reach the gate, my hand wraps around the cold iron. I look back at my home; my old home. My voice is swift and soft when it whispers.

"Goodbye."

I then whip the gate open to my new life. My new beginning. My new adventure. Lightness begins to spread from my heart again. I feel excitement and exhilaration. I am off to Arizona. I'm off to the humans.

**So Joy is finally off on her adventure! It's only a matter of time until she meets Jamie! **

**I hope you liked the chapter and you weren't like "Man I waited forever for this? What the heck?" haha Hopefully you had the opposite reaction.**

**Anyway I hope you loved it and was like "Man that was great. Can't wait for an update!" If you did in fact enjoy it, let me know! Fav, Follow, and Review! Hit those buttons! I love feedback!**

**Happy creativity and reading everyone! :)**


	5. Chapter 5 Human Spotted

**Thank you for the favs and follows! i know I always say this but it's super important to me that I let you guys know I love love love the support.**

**Thank you to AliceVienna, Rebellion7, **** RainbowTeeth8, Evelyn Finley, and ME4427 for the awesome reviews! Really appreciate the ****feedback! If you haven't reviewed do! Let me know how I'm doing!********  
**

**Sorry it took while to upload... My finals were killer... so much studying.**

**Without further ado... Chapter 5!**

Jamie POV

The faint echoes of the sirens haunts the halls. The sound bounces off of the walls and invades our ears forcefully. It is barely audible, but we have trained ourselves to hear it as if it's deafening. The wail means danger, it means a threat to our new home. As if on queue everyone begins to move throughout the cave preparing for the worst. Fear ghostly consumes their eyes.

My feet are already pounding against the rough rocks in search of Jeb. He would know what's going on. Jared is one step ahead of me, quickly navigating himself through the crowds of people that have seemed to instantly form. Mel appears out of nowhere and is next to me in a second.

"Jeb's near the hospital wing, Jamie go to your room and stay there for news."

I rapidly choose to ignore her. She's crazy if she thinks I'm just going to sit around and do nothing.

"No way sis. I'm coming with you."

Mel's face contorts into a stern glare, but I pick up my pace. Ha try and glare at me now Mel. In the corner of my eye I see her shake her head and smile to herself. It's a smile that says, 'Yep typical Jamie.'

As we continue our path to the hospital we finally spot Jeb. Sharon and Maggie are around him, and their heads are bent together in deep conversation. The fear in my heart pushes me to move even faster towards him.

"Jeb, what the hell is going on? Are the Seekers coming?"

Jared doesn't even seem out of breath. His voice is level, and his eyes don't portray panic at all. I can't help but admire him; I have always wished I could figure out all of his secrets to remaining calm. I envy his awesomeness.

Jeb clears his throat and waves his hand as if we made a ridiculous accusation.

"No no, nothing of that sort. My caves are way too hidden for those clueless Seekers to find. Nah, Sharon says it's just some commotion in the city."

I see anxiety coarse through Mel, and I instantly know what she's thinking. My mouth opens before I can even stop it.

"You don't think it's Ian and Wanda do you?"

"Mags here said she didn't think so. Didn't spot our car in the mix of the disorder. We think it might be another human. Besides Ian and Wanda are way too smart to start a hubbub like this one here."

My shoulders instantly drop in relaxation. Jeb's right. Ian and Wanda are way too clever to cause a scene like this. Who am I kidding? Wanda is probably telling stories about distant planets while Ian falls to sleep peacefully in the seat next to her.

However the thought of another human captures my attention. I wonder if they are ok. It's been a while since we have had contact with another human group. Maybe one of them got careless and accidently got caught. The thought sends a shiver down my spine. I feel my hairs tickle my skin as they lift into goose bumps. We can't afford to loose any more humans.

"That being said, it might be a good idea to put a few more people on lookout for the next couple of days. Never know what might show up after something like this. Why don't you three gather some of the others and take post at the stations outside. Better to be safe than sorry."

I feel my heart instinctively lift. Yes! Finally some time out of this rocky hole. Time for me to show them that I can be of great service. The feeling of importance courses through me as I square my shoulders. I have an urge to jump and throw my fists through the air, but that might not help my case of being treated like an adult. Instead I nod silently signaling I understand Jeb's request.

However, when I see Mel's concerned eyes begging Jeb to retract his statement, I deflate. Oh wonderful…

"Jamie can stay here and protect from within the walls. Jared, Kyle, Sharon, Lacey, and I will go stand guard."

Jared covers his faint smile with his fist. It gives him this image that he's concentrating on something very hard. Like he's contemplating on the meaning of life, but I know he is hiding a laugh. He knows that I will fight her on this. He is mentally laughing at the idea that I'll actually listen to Mel.

"Actually Mel I think it would be better if I came with you guys."

"No." Her arms fold in front of her. Her face portrays the message that if I argue she'll personally drag me to my room and lock me there.

"Yes."

"NO!"

"YES!"

Jeb's clearing of the throat transports us back into the present moment.

"You know Jamie, Mel might be right. We could use and extra hand around here."

WHAT! I can't believe he just said that. Way to betray me Jeb. Melanie smiles triumphantly at me. I can tell she is extremely smug that Jeb agrees with her.

"Come on Sharon and Jared. We'll go find Kyle."

I watch her hair flow back and forth as she strides forward away from Jeb, Maggie, and I. Jared gives me this look that reads 'Your sister's crazy, but I gotta love her'.

"Jeb! What the hell! You are supposed to be on my side! Some ally you are."

I freeze as soon as I fully comprehend his face. He is looking at me with a giant grin. He shakes his head as if disappointed in my words. He holds out his hand offering me his gun. The metal reflects my face. I see it slowly transform from anger to realization; my tiny reflection captures the smile that glides onto my lips. He still wants me to go out.

"Go to the lookout on the West side. Better hurry though. Won't take long for your sister to find Kyle." He gives me a small wink. A wink that reveals numerous expressions.

"Should have known you wouldn't actually betray me like that." I snatch the weapon out of his hand maybe a tad too eagerly, but I'm too energetic to care. My body spins me around instantly and I go dashing down the hall. I lift my hand and it flows casually as I wave back and forth to Jeb.

"Thanks! See you soon!"

As my feet carry me to the exit, I get this weird feeling. A tiny thought tickles the back of my brain. Creeping up on me as I continue to move forward. It's almost as if it's telling me I'm going to find something completely unexpected.

**I know nothing really super exciting happened but its just a little fluff! Sorry if you found it a tad boring... though I did enjoy writing this one. I love Jeb. **

** Welp dont worry we will soon find out what the commotion was all about in the next chapter! Jamie and Joy will unite soon!**

**Jeb thinks you all should hit those buttons and review/follow/ fav! Well not really but if he was real I bet he would! Happy reading and creativity everyone! **


	6. Chapter 6 Runaway

**THANK YOU! Anyway that is for all the awesome new follows/ favorites! Seeing that you love it makes me enjoy writing so much more!**

**Special thanks to all the reviews out there! Reviews are my favorite 'cause then I get to know why you like my story. :D Tell me what you think and don't be afraid to give feedback! I love it!**

**Thanks to ME4427 for you're continuous feedback! Also thanks to SumerSnow and 123lovestory for your reviews!**

**Enjoy! :)**

Joy POV

The steam hiss of bus breaks startles me out of my sleep. My forehead convulses with pain as I bang it against the seat in front of me, and the yelp that arises out of my mouth sounds more like a large grunt. My eyes crack open to the bright sunlight as I rub my head trying to magically heal the fresh bump that is already forming.

I feel the dry salt from past tears shift around the edges of my eyes as my lids flutter fully open. I must have been crying in my sleep. Images of my parents flash before me as I remember my sad dreams, but I push those thoughts to the hidden compartments of my brain. I can't think about them now; I have already left.

A smooth, old voice fills the bus, "Last stop Tucson, Arizona."

Shit. I missed my stop for Phoenix. I guess I'll just have to find another ticket later today to go back. I shouldn't have fallen asleep, but my eyes were so tired. I hadn't even realized I gave into my drowsiness until now. I curse at myself for being so careless. I had been traveling for hours, almost a half a day. I hear that for humans it used to take even longer, but the advances in technology have cut down the driving time. I can't imagine the terrible agony of their endless journeys!

Suddenly the voice is right besides me and my heart sinks in my chest. "Ma'am I'm sorry, but you have to get off now."

I must have a complete look of shock on my face because the woman gazes at me with a frown of concern.

"Are you ok?"

I blink quickly to regain my focus. The drowsiness begins to fade along with my fear. I can't act suspicious. I have to relax.

"Yes, sorry. You just… surprised me. I was supposed to get off at Phoenix. Silly me must have dozed off."

The old lady laughs softly at me.

"Oh it happens a lot. You can receive a new ticket at the counter outside."

Just when I think I am in the clear, she squints her eyes focusing intently on my face. I turn around quickly so she won't recognize me too well. I pretend to be busy gathering my things, but in reality I just have to pick up my backpack. I zip it open and fiddle with my belongings inside.

"I'm sorry dear, but have we met before? You look oddly familiar."

Great. I can't let her know who I am. She will tell a seeker immediately, and I know my dad has probably sent an emergency search for me already. If not him, the Seekers will. I blink and double check to see if I have my contacts in. In the reflection of the bus I catch the light of silver flash in my eyes. My breath escapes me in relaxation. I try to have my voice sound as light as possible.

"I'm afraid we haven't. I surprisingly get that a lot though. I must look like some movie star or something."

The lie flows out of me naturally; I almost convinced myself. I throw in a hearty giggle to seal the deal. Instantly she laughs along and gasps in recognition.

"Oh yes. I see it now. Winds of the North!"

I have no idea who that is, but I nod in agreement still trying to hide my face.

"Yep that's the one. Well I don't mean to be rude, but I am in a rush. Thank you for your service."

I throw her a swift wave as I practically sprint off the metal contraption. When I finally hit the hot Arizona air, my smile escapes me. I did it! I made it to Arizona! Not exactly the right city, but at least I'm almost there! My heart fills with accomplishment. This is the first time I have ever done anything significant by myself. I feel stronger and more independent. Hope begins to replace the restlessness inside of me.

When I reach the ticket counter I get a bus pass for the next one that leaves in three hours. Luckily there were electronic machines so I didn't have to awkwardly deal with another strange encounter. As I settle into a seat, a thought hits me almost as suddenly as the cold metal that attacks my butt.

It probably isn't a good idea for me to stay in one place for too long. Someone might get too good of a look at my face. I sigh as I stand up not really sure where I'm going to go, but my feet are itching to travel. I have been sitting for way too long, and my leg muscles ache from the extended journey. I pull my baseball hat out of my bag, and throw it on my head. I tuck my hair underneath it for good measure.

I walk down the sidewalk as the desert heat begins to bake my skin. I have never been in weather this scorching. I feel the beads of sweat begin their voyage down my forehead as my throat starts to yearn for water. I need air-conditioning and rehydration quickly. I scan the area and spot a supermarket just a few blocks away. Perfect! I will stock up on some refreshments and food. My pace instantly quickens.

When I push through the door, a bell rings announcing my presence. The chilled gust of wind pounds against my boiling body. I pull my hat down further before anyone could steal a glance at my face. Once I make it past the entrance no one seems to notice me anymore. I feel my body unwind when I turn the corner to the power bar section. I gather as many as I can, and fill the basket up with a few water bottles. That should do it for now.

I approach the check out counter with no line. Luck seems to be on my side today. I place my items down and wait for the Soul to begin scanning my gatherings.

"Quite a few items you got there little lady. Going on a trip?"

Of course he starts some small talk. I avoid his gaze, and pretend to be interested in my surroundings.

"Something like that. This is a beautiful store. Different from the ones I've been too."

"Oh yes well here at Quick…."

I zone out his voice as I continue to seem interested in the store. My eyes land on a woman dressed in all Black. The uniform of a Seeker no doubt, and my heart rate instantly increases to a rapid pounding. I try to swallow my uneasy feeling away, but my stomach still feels extremely queasy. Her line of sight is directly on my face.

"This store is an original! Don't see a lot…"

I try not to stare, but I constantly throw my attention to her. Slowly her arm floats up to her mouth and her lips move slightly as she whispers into her communicator. I feel as if I might be having a heart attack. Fearfully I steal a glance at the progress of the employee. He is almost done scanning my items. My hand rapidly begins to pile the supplies into my backpack.

"… last few items here."

Another Seeker has miraculously appeared next to the woman. The lump in my chest grows, and the panic continues to develop. They both look at me as if I am prey, but they portray total ease. I have to get out of here fast. My feet tingle anticipating my escape. The door is not too far; I could make it out if they do come for me.

As if by slow motion they begin their hunt for me. Before the clerk even knows what is happening, I snatch my backpack and I'm flying for the exit. My feet pound against the linoleum floor sending squeaks into the store. The hot air hits me, and my lungs feel the heat as they pump my body with oxygen. I hear the once dreadful bell faintly ring, this time alarming me of the dangers that stalk from behind.

I welcome the nighttime sky because the darkness will give me an advantage. If I can get far enough ahead, I can disappear into blackness. I catch sight of an alleyway ahead, and I take an immediate sharp turn to my left. The Seekers slip as they try to reenact my actions, but they recover rapidly and they are back on my trail. Faint sirens begin to echo through the air, haunting my ears with their wails. The adrenaline propelling me forward increases, and my muscles begin to ache from the lack of exercise I do. However, I don't feel tired at all. I have always been the top runner in my class; must be my natural human survival instincts.

The alley is pitch black but I can still hear the drumming footsteps of the Seekers as they pursue me. Their voices echo from the walls taunting me.

"PLEASE STOP! We don't want you to become injured!"

I don't listen of course. Lightness covers my figure when I appear back onto the street. Seeker mobiles cruise down the road with their lights painting the surroundings blue and red. Shit. I have to think of something fast. The others are getting even closer. Panic fills my brain as I frantically look for my escape. I spot another alley and I sprint to my getaway. Once I'm consumed by blackness, the sirens seem to grow even louder. There must be at least 10 vehicles out right now looking for me.

My feet screech to a halt when I reach a fork in the path. Right or left? Right or left? My brain almost makes a decision when something catches me eye. A door way opens to a compartment to the side of a building. Once the door closes it will completely blend into the wall. The pounding rhythm of shoes grows closer and I practically leap to the hidden hole. I push the door shut, and I sit alone waiting for them to come.

Even though I'm out of breath I barely breathe; one puff of air might give me away. The steps stop right outside my barrio, and I hear muffled voices arguing which way to go. My heart leaps when they decide to split up.

The tracks fade away to nothingness as I wait patiently in my hidden room. I release a large breath as soon as I know I'm completely alone. I take out my special contacts carefully so I'm able to see more clearly in the dark. Timidly I push the door open again and poke my head out. I look around, but everyone has disappeared. I can't stay here long I have to keep moving, but where?

I run silently down one of the paths, and stop in front of… nothing. Literally all that stands in front of me is pure nature. The desert seems to extend thousands of miles. I feel my stomach drop further at my option. Maybe I could try the other path at the fork?

Just as I turn around I feel arms encompass my body. I immediately begin to struggle against his strong hold.

"Please hold still. We will not hurt you. Please cooperate as I take you to the others."

He's alone? This is good. My head alerts me, signaling the one thing I should do to make him let go. I throw an elbow back into his groan.

His grip rapidly loosens and I am free once again. He moans in pain as he drops to the ground. I then press on the nerve in his neck so he collapses to the dirt unconscious.

My breaths loudly leave my body as I stare down at the man I just attacked. I feel as if I might throw up. I am going to throw up! I run over to a rock and hurl on the other side. My empty body heaves trying to rid of the toxic feeling in the pit of my gut. Once I'm done, my stomach continues to growl uneasiness.

I gaze over to the city, and hear the multiple cars howl their alarms. It's full of life and lights. I can't even imagine the intense commotion occurring inside right now. Going back is an awful idea. The desert is my only hope. Maybe I'll walk to another city soon, or at least stay there a few days and come back….

I tear my eyes away from the civilization and stare into the wild. Into the world of mystery and isolation. I have no idea what could be out there, but I have no other choice.

The next breath I take lasts longer then usual. I inhale deeply sending fresh energy into my body. Fueling myself for the unknown. I am prepared to move forward. My footsteps crunch into the dry dirt as I begin my journey into my new path.

**Hope you all enjoyed the chapter! it was kinda really intense! Poor Joy had to go through all of that, buuuuut she's in the desert and you know what that means! **

**Tell me what you think of the story so far! Are you still interested? Do you still love it? What do you want to happen? Or are you completely bored haha? (HOPE NOT THE LAST ONE!)**

**Anyway follow/fav/review or the Seekers will come get you! Just kidding but I still think it would be a good idea to hit those buttons below haha! Happy reading and creativity! :)**


	7. Chapter 7 Savior

**First I would like to begin by saying thank youto all the follows and favs! I honestly thought that this story would get maybe 5 follows, but this is an amazing surprise! Super Amazing!**

**I would also like to thank ME2247 and Ranbowteeth8 for the constant reviews! You are both awesome, and I love your support! I would also like to thank JulietMcKay, iloveIanO, Anna Valdez, Camille, and Positively Perfect for your reviews! I love your feedback! (oh and Camille your english is wonderful! A lot better then my french, but... thats mostly because I don't know any french! Seriously though it's great!)  
**

**Anyway the chapter is longer than usual, but enjoy! :)**

Jamie's POV

I gaze at the rock formation of our lookout spot. I debate the different sitting positions in my head; which one will make Mel the angriest? Laughter pops out of my mouth suddenly for even thinking this. She's going to kill me when she sees me perched on the stone with a cocking grin on my face. Even though it's asking for a good smack, I am too excited to let the opportunity pass. I finally decide on leaning back with my feet resting in front of me and my arms open wide. Perfect, cocking and confident; as Jeb would say, it's just the look to really get her panties in a bunch. A laugh escapes again at the cheesy expression.

Even though they try to be as quiet as possible, the desert sand is unforgiving on their shoes. I can hear the footsteps crunch up the hill. Shock flashes through Mel as she freezes in place. Jared shakes his head and covers his mouth so Mel won't see his grin. Kyle shares the same expression as Jared; it's like they knew I would be here. I can't help but be slightly disappointed. At least I got Mel. Anger quickly replaces her surprise.

"Wipe that dumb ass smile off your face Jamie. What are you doing here? I told you to stay inside!"

She is now towering over my body cascading shade over me. Her hands rest in fist by her side, and she is practically fuming. At least she hasn't slapped my head yet; this is going better then I predicted.

"Nice to see you too, and Jeb said I could help. Soooo here I am."

I decide to stand up. My body towers a good 6 inches over hers. At least when I'm standing next to her, I have an advantage on being taller. There isn't much she can control about that. Sharon awkwardly looks away trying to avoid conflict. Kyle and Jared seem to be whispering and taking bets on who will win.

"Jamie I'm going to be clear here. Go. Back. Now."

I feel my own anger begin to bubble up in my chest. Shesh she needs to stop treating me like this. I take a large breath to keep my cool.

"No. I'm staying. Look Mel, I'm 22. You aren't mom, and quite frankly, I'm not a little boy anymore. We all know I am more then capable to start taking on important responsibilities now. And to let you on a little secret, I have big mus-cles now and a warge bwain."

I slyly throw in my goofy voice in the last sentence. I know I won't win this battle by fighting with her. The key is to get her to relax; I have been through enough Melanie wars to know my manipulative strategy. It's almost like we are little kids again and I am trying to trick her into giving me the last pudding cup. A smile quickly flickers on her lips. If I wasn't paying attention, I would have missed it. Relief fills my heart, and I know I have got her. She pinches her nose and the sigh she lets out whispers her regrets for what she's about to say.

"Fine, but you stay with Jared and I. Kyle and Sharon go on the opposite side and keep watch there."

Sharon gives a skeptical look at Mel. She crosses her arms and cocks an eyebrow.

"I thought Jared was in charge."

When Mel turns around I rapidly do a quick fist pump. Success! Kyle rolls his eyes in my direction. I give him a whatever shrug of the shoulders in return. Jared quivers his head coming out of a daze. He's clearly disappointed he lost the bet with Kyle. I smirk.

"Yeah, what Mel said is fine…" Jared mumbles, clearly having no idea what she just said.

Kyle knocks him hard on the back catching him off guard. Jared springs up, and arches his back from the smack.

"Dude, you are so whipped."

Kyle strolls off laughing as Jared responses by giving him the middle finger. Kyle's hand flings in the air waving him off clearly not caring about Jared's actions.

Mel and Sharon shake their heads at the same time while rolling their eyes.

"Boys…"

Contently I plop my butt down to settle into position. The hot rock scorches my skin for a split second, and I have to lift up quickly from the pain. Stupid sun; stupid heat. Luckily Mel didn't notice. Jared settles in next to me and places his hand on my shoulder.

"Nice one, little Stryder. Didn't think you had it in you." He throws in a good wink for emphases on his amazement.

"Shut-up!"

Mel punches him hard in the shoulder. Jared barely flinches as if he knew it was coming. His arms encompass her body as he gives her a few tickles. Her soft giggles fill the air around us as her limbs desperately try to escape his grasp.

"Stop, stop! I give up."

His arms slowly loosen their grip as if not wanting to let go, but instead hold on for a few seconds longer. I can see the hunger lingering in his eyes. I'm going to throw-up. Too much gross cuteness and images are going on here. They both settle down, but at the last second Mel throws him another lighthearted smack in the arm. A giggle escapes her lips as she tries to be serious. Jared looks as if he's about to counterattack, but I stop them both.

"Focus guys. Really?"

And they think I'm the immature one?

Night hits and we take turns keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. Mel practically gives me a heart attack when she wakes me up from my dead sleep. I rub my eyes already knowing I didn't get enough rest to be 100% focused.

"Your turn. Don't be afraid to wake us up if you need anything."

My eyes shift over to Jared. He's sprawled out across the ground with his mouth wide open. How he can just sleep so peacefully on the hard ground …

"Don't judge. You were in the same position when I woke your lazy head up."

How does she do that?! It's like she can read my mind.

"Keep alert."

"I got it! Yesh."

At that Mel rests her head on Jared's chest like it's a pillow. In a few minutes her body lies perfectly still in a sound sleep; a slight smile even appears on her lips. I see the old, free Mel I knew when I was younger. I love seeing her face when she sleeps; it's the innocent Mel I remember long ago.

Sunrise creeps through the cracks of the hill formations far away. The rays of sunlight break the once dark sky, and the oranges and reds flow across the clouds making it look like fire. I sigh at the beautiful sight; I hardly ever get to see the sunrise anymore. I cherish the moment the glowing orange ball emerges from the ground and greets the world with a warm hello. I feel the ray's heat instantly fill my face. I'm glad Mel saved this shift for me.

Once the sun finishes it's painting of the sky and the blue wave washes the color away, I'm back to my mission. Scanning the area for any signs of movement. However all I see are the usual aspects: dirt, rock, dead tree, weird lizard. I shortly begin to feel my sleepiness creep back into my eyes.

Suddenly gold flashes in my line of slight. It glints and reflects the sun. A few seconds pass before I realize its hair; hair belonging to a girl! My heart rate quickens, and I squint my eyelids trying to get a better look. Where did Mel put the binoculars?

The girl stumbles, and clumsily voyages through the desert. Each time she trips it takes a millisecond longer to catch herself from crashing into the dirt. She looks exhausted and weak. My heart suddenly goes out to the mystery person. I find myself secretly wishing to help her.

STOP! Get a hold of yourself Jamie. This might be a Seeker for crying out loud! I can't be stupid. My hand instantly finds Mel's jeans and I shake lightly. She flies forward abruptly interrupting the peace around us.

"What's going on?"

Panic sparks in her eyes; her muscles are tense ready to fight off any danger in the area.

"Relax. I just spotted a girl in the distance; 3 o'clock by the formation that looks like a cactus tree."

Casually the binoculars emerge from her back pocket, and they scan the land for the potential threat. So that's where they were! I'll have to give Mel crap later for not sharing. Her head slowly floats forward once she discovers the target. Mel pushes Jared awake.

"What! My shift already?"

Instead of looking alert, he's half asleep. His brain is still foggy from his imaginary dream world that's probably filled with thousands of Mels.

"Traveler spotted. Doesn't have a pack. Only a water bottle with a few drops. Could be a trick. We should wait until she passes out to get a better look. She should be done by mid afternoon."

The trade off of binoculars to Jared's open hands is smooth. He takes a look himself and nods in agreement to Mel. I hold my hand out for a chance to scope out the scene, but Mel snatches the binoculars back. They find their home; back against her eyes. Guess I'll just sit here and do nothing…. Again.

So we wait… and wait and wait and wait for the girl to finally give up and collapse. Her will is strong though; she surpasses our expectations by a long shot. The falls look increasingly painful, and her struggle to continue forward is heart crunching. I can practically feel the tremendous pain that courses through her body each time she pounds against the rubble. My throat itches just imagining the giant thirst she must endure while fighting with the scorching heat of the desert sun. It's dusk when it happens. The final fall is the most difficult to witness. As if by slow motion her body flows closer and closer to the ground. I can practically hear the crunch of the dirt as she meets the earth with a final blow. Her body twitches urging her to continue, but her head remains heavy as her arms attempt to push up. Then as if by total surrender she crumples forward ready to die.

The words blurt out before I can even stop them.

"We have to save her. She's down; lets go take a look."

I feel Jared's hand clutch my arm.

"We have to be careful. First check if she's a sole and then help. I will check her out while you and Mel keep and eye out for any Seekers that might be in the area."

"Oh no! We are coming down with you. It's better to have us there as backup just in case."

Jared nods in agreement to Mel, and we immediately begin our decent to the stranger. I can feel my heart rate increase with each step. Why am I so nervous?

Jared turns the girls head toward him, and pushes her eyelids open and shines the flashlight into them. She doesn't even stir; her body remains still and lifeless. Almost a corpse, lifeless among the other deceased creatures in this unforgiving landscape. Maybe we are too late…

I feel a tight tug on my heart, but my mind fights my reaction. She's just an outsider. If she dead; it's not your fault.

"She's not one of them."

Jared's voice is calm and strong. I breathe out a breath of relief. The eerie feeling of eyes watching me slowly fades away into nothingness. We are back to being alone in the desert.

"So she's human?"

I don't know why I asked that. Of course she's human if she isn't a soul. What else would she be? A bear?

Luckily Jared chooses to ignore my stupidity and just nods. He stands once again backing away. I can't help but notice Mel's quizzical look of confusion. I can almost see the gears shifting as they try to put together the difficult puzzle in her head.

"We have to get her water then!"

The words burst out of my mouth like vomit. Even before I knew what I was doing, my hand is shuffling through my bag for the extra water bottles.

"Jamie wait stop!"

Mel's slight panic masks her confusion. My heart rate increases at her sudden outburst, but my legs continue to move me forward to the girl. She's a magnet slowly tempting me forward. Jared's face matches mine with bewilderment. Why can't we save her? Mel answers our question before we can even ask.

"I recognize this face. We have to be careful."

"She's human Melanie! We have to save her!"

Ignoring Mel's warning glares, I turn bringing my focus back to the girl. I bend down and scoop her head and golden blonde hair into my hands. I pull her up and carry her upper half in my arms. I swear I see her throat move up and down as if trying to say something, but her voice remains a mystery.

"Jamie we must listen to Mel before we jump to conclusions."

I feel my anger begin to boil again. How can they just sit there and debate whether or not we should save another human? She's one of us! We are a dying species! My brain instantly finds the argument that they can't object to.

"If Wanda and Ian were here right now, they would agree with me."

Their eyes shift downward as if avoiding the truth. Both then look at each other trying to find the correct response. Jared shrugs his shoulders giving up, but Mel holds her head higher. Her voice reflects her strength and confidence.

"Jamie I swear I have seen that face before. I don't know if we can trust her... We have to think about what to do."

"We should save her!"

I don't get it. The answer is obvious! I pull her head closer to me, and her soft puffs hit my shirt. She is fading quickly. I can't just let this girl die.

"They will come looking for her! They might not give up; she might be too important. We will put everyone in the caves at risk. I can't do that to them, to you! The best decision might be to leave her and have them discover her body."

Has she completely forgotten what happened with her and Wanda? I shake my head in disappointment. Mel's eyes dig into me to challenge her. I know she longs to save her, but she also needs me to talk her out of her logic. Mel always relies on me to keep the survival logic from completely consuming the colony.

"When Jeb saved you, you put all of us in danger. We didn't know if you would report us to the seekers, but look what happened. You came back to us and we even got Wanda! If we didn't save you, our entire society would be a whole lot worse! We might have all been captured by now trying to get supplies. I probably would have died from infection! She could help us."  
Mel immediately turns to Jared for help, but his eyes fail her. He is looking at me with pride placed in his hidden smile. I know he agrees with me, and his lack of response reveals to Mel he wishes to save the stranger. Mel's arm slither to cross in front of her, as the other hand catches her forehead as it tumbles forward. The gears inside are ticking away again. They contemplate the different outcomes of each decision.

"Jamie if we allow her to live, she's your responsibility. You have to make sure she isn't a threat."

My response is immediate.

"I will."

My fingers fumble to open her mouth, but the lips part to uncover a dry pit waiting for the first few drops of salvation. I pour the cool water into the abyss, and everything slowly begins to work once again. It gargles and splashes from the corners of her mouth, but her lips desperately continue to search for more. They beg for me to continue the wonderful river of life. Enough strength builds so she can lift herself up. Jared and Mel take a set back preparing for an attack.

Her hands lift to rub her eyes, and the lids open with a pop. A shock suddenly ricochets through me. My heart literally skips a beat and I feel a little nauseous. Her green eyes remind me of the first signs of life in the spring. It's like when the tree leaves allow the slightest bits of sunlight through, and the green seems to almost be imaginary. The pink reflecting off her face from the sunset makes the green stand out more vividly; it's almost like a watermelon. I unexpectedly find myself smiling with joy at my memories of long ago seasons.

My mind snaps my thoughts back into place commanding my full attention again. What's wrong with me? Maybe I need more water myself? Am I still dreaming?

I help her up to stand, but her face is uncomfortable and frightened. Wow. She must be freaking out right now! It must be complete panic in her brain; she's a master at masking her fear though. No wonder she's survived this long.

I pick up the flashlight, and shine it into my own eyes. This should help…

"Don't worry. We're human too."

Her face transforms into complete and total disbelief.

**So sorry if you thought it was too long, but I just kept going! What did you think? I know you have seen this in Joy's perspective, but how did you like Jamie's POV? Did you like Joy's or Jamie's better?!**

**Well again i hope you enjoyed it, and let my know you opinions! Seriously every time I see a notification pop up about my story I do a little dance!**

**So make me dance! Hit those buttons below and fav/follow/ and review! **

**Or if your bored or have any ideas pm me! slash any one watch the bachelorette/ read the born trilogy?**


	8. Chapter 8 Discovering a Society

**So here is the new chapter… Joy's finally with fellow humans!**

**Thank-you to all the new follows/ favorites!**

**Special thank-you ****to ****peteythepirate****, ****ME4427****, ****Writing Rules****, ****RainbowTeeth8****, ****Camille, and wanda ****for their**** reviews! Also Camille I have added the POV to the top of each chapter, hope that helps! AND finally to Wanda, I hope this chapter is a little more creative for you!**

**As always enjoy **

Joy POV

A human… a real life human! I can't believe it! My eyes blink uncontrollably to make sure my sight isn't tricking me. This has to be a dream. I'm going to wake up in my old bed any second now. My mom's going to shake me awake, and then the race will begin to get to school by the bell.

Confusion folds over his face, and he lifts one eyebrow at me. His lips form into a hard line as he tries to analyze my every movement. Hesitantly his hand floats forward unsure if I will attack him or not. A soft palm meets my shoulders and heat instantly magnifies. It's as if the intense sun is burning my skin like earlier, but this time I don't try and shrink away; I soak it in. The warmth travels down my arm, and shivers trek along my spine. Suddenly my stomach is nauseas once again, and my heart is in my throat.

"Hey are you ok?"

I can barely suck in breaths fast enough and I think I'm hyperventilating. Ok Joy calm down; you don't want them thinking like you are some sort of freak! I can't afford to be different among them; this is my chance to finally fit in. The man sends looks of concern to his comrades, and they return his glance with warning. Both of them creep forward ready to tie me up.

"I… I'm fine."

It comes out as a croak, and I jump at the unusual sound. My throat aches from the lack of water I have had in the past days. Quickly I cough clearing any obstruction that might make me sound like that again.

"I just am a little confused, and tired. It's been a very interesting past couple of days."

The boy lets out a sigh of relief, and I see his strong shoulders instantly relax. His hand disappears from my skin, and a chill replaces the warmth. I feel myself longing to have the hand on me once again.

A white grin greets me as he holds out his large skinny hand.

"I'm Jamie."

My lips form a smile in return…At least I hope it's a smile and not a weird grimace. Pain crosses my upper lip as it splits from the lack of moisture, and my skin burns from the sun exposure. Instead of welcoming his greeting, I grab my head in agony. I fall forward into his arms; the heat encompasses me. My brain goes fuzzy from my sudden dizziness.

"Hey, woah! We gotta get you back to the caves and take you to Doc. Here lean on me I'll help."

A faint shadow falls over us, turning the pink sand from the sunset to black. All I can see is shiny, long, dark hair.

"Hold it. Blindfold her."

The strong muscles holding me up instantly tense.

"Why? She's human."

This time a different male interjects. He's a little shorter than Jamie, but a lot stronger. His presence screams leader. I also can't help notice how good-looking he is.

"I agree. We aren't taking any chances."

"Fine, but she isn't going to be locked up or anything. She'll stay with me."

Silence follows, and with nothing to distract my thoughts, the pain becomes worse. My body pounds as each heart beat forces the blood through my veins trying to heal my injuries. I notice both of Jamie's associates pout their lips thinking over the deal Jamie just laid out.

"Agreed."

All of a sudden, I'm being lowered to the ground. My stomach drops from the unexpected movement; it's like the feeling your stomach gets from dropping on a roller coaster. My butt hits the desert sand, which is still warm from the scorching day, and my back finds a hard rock to lean on. Jamie's eyes meet mine as he squats in front of me.

"Now these two rude people are my sister Melanie and her boyfriend Jared."

His lips creep within inches of my ear, and his breaths tickle and tease me as he whispers.

"Ignore them; they're ass holes to everyone."

A crunch invades the night when he leans back again. His eye closes in a wink signaling that what he just told me is our little secret. The girl, Melanie, rolls her eyes and shoves his head aside.

Blackness completely takes over, and fear crawls it's way back into my senses. My arms float out in front of me searching for anything to numb my blindness. A hand finds mine, and a shock courses through it. It fuels me to stand once again though I fall forward a bit.

"It's ok. I have you."

"Oh come on! I'm starving!"

Jared voice urges us forward, but my footsteps are snail-like and clumsy. Rocks, pebbles, and uneven terrain create a difficult path for my feet. I stumble and sway, but Jamie doesn't let me go once. He remains by my side the entire journey.

It's strange. These humans are so unique compared to the horrifying stories I have grown up with. Hell if it were like the tales I know, I would be dead already. But Jamie, he's so kind and warm. He is everything I hoped humans would be like. My decision to leave my old life suddenly seems more reasonable.

But why the blindfold? They could be tricking me… what if they are going to sacrifice me or do experiments on my body? Oh god! My breaths quicken again as my panic develops. I fight against Jamie's grip for the briefest of seconds, but the weakness inside of me is too great.

"It's ok. Calm down. We won't hurt you."

My mind strangely accepts this answer, and I'm back to the robotic movement of following Jamie. I honestly can't explain why I trust him, but I do. We walk for at least a mile, and already my legs cry out in protest.

My mouth opens to ask for a break, but I hear it, a faint mummer of soft voices mushing together. The sound of civilization. The challenge of the last few days disappears from my mind, and all that's left is the thought of more humans. More! Humans! A whole entire society right under the noses of the souls! My dad would die to find this place.

The blindfold tugs on my hair as Jamie slips it off my forehead. The sudden change in lighting causes me to go blind for a few seconds. It's still black, but I can hardly distinguish anything. My brain flashes to the thought of heaven. Maybe I did die in the desert and the figures materializing before me are the human angels who died before during the Soul conquest.

The dimness fades and I find at least 30 faces glued to me in a giant field. A mixture of curiosity, fascination, boredom, and awe greets me. I feel my eyes expend into giant balls; I'm a deer in headlights waiting for the collision of a car to bring me back into reality. I swallow and the next word comes squawking out of my mouth.

"Hi!"

A few eyebrows skyrocket to the ceiling, and my ears pick up on some chuckles that break the silence. My cheeks flame red, and my stomach wants to hurl. These aren't souls anymore; they're humans. They will not tone down their emotions to be polite. If they find me weird I will for sure know, and they will inform me in an impolite fashion. A raspy breath invades my ear.

"It's ok. They're used to new people." Jamie's voice then booms through the room rescuing me from total embarrassment. "Hey everyone this is… ummmm…"

The whisper is back. "Sorry I'm a total idiot… I don't think I caught your name."

"It's Lig…"

I can't say Light of Joy; he'll know I'm part of the souls. They will never accept me then. My brain reminds me of my purpose here. To belong. To finally connect and be accepted. The humans will never admit me to their life if I am unable to be confident in my new lifestyle and myself. Mimicking Jamie I match his booming volume.

"My name's Joy. Thank-you for letting me stay."

At that the babbling continues once again as many people become disinterested in me. Numerous people go back to their routine, and scurry out going to bed. Only a few men around my age let their eyes linger on me longer. Their elbows nudge each other as their lips quickly move in conversation.

Jamie's snort distracts me from my trace. I'm suddenly worried I did something wrong again. My anger flows out before I can catch it.

"What now?!"

Shock flashes on his face surprised at my boost of attitude, but a smile remains on his amused lips.

"Oh come on. You saw those guys looking at you."

"Yeah. Why? Do you think they are plotting something against me?"

More laughs escape, and the look he gives me provides the message that I'm crazy.

"You know Joy, you're kinda funny. But no, not against you. More like for you. Seeing who can get you first."

Me funny? That's a weird concept; no one has ever said I was funny before. The Souls don't really have a sense of humor. It's seriousness 24/7. However, I welcome this new compliment, but my brows fold together in confusion. I still don't understand his point.

"Oh come on! You know, they think you're pretty, and they are seeing who could get you to like them first."

"HA! Me? Now you're the funny one."

"Seriously Joy, you have to know you're attractive. I mean nice-looking and stuff…"

His voice mumbles off trying to hide his last few sentences, and his hand flies through his hair as he ducks his head shying away from me.

My cheeks are burning again, and I can't meet his eyes. Why am I like this? A faint flutter skips in my heart; does he really think I'm cute?

"Anyway, let me show you around! We should head over to Doc first to get you healed!"

His large hand encompasses mine once again, and the spark alarms my palm. He tugs me around through the caves.

A few days past, and I literally spend every possible second with Jamie. He goes through every routine for the cave. Chores, farming, washing, eating. My brain buzzes with the new information. Unfortunately for me with all the responsibilities I don't have time to meet anyone new. Slowly I'm drifting back into the dreaded position as an outcast.

Longingly my eyes float over to Jamie surrounded by a group of people. Most of them are cracking up over a joke he just told. Sighing I pick up a rock in the large arena area. I guess this can be my friend. My thoughts flow towards Katie and the sadness overwhelms me. I miss her; if only she could have come with me.

Footsteps creep closer and they screech to a halt; Jamie's body plumps down next to me, and we are pressed together. The warmth still glows from our connection still as powerful as before. My heart instantly flutters slightly. Will I never get used to it?

"Why the long face Joy? Did the rock make a rude joke to you?"

He pouts his lip jokingly giving me sympathy. His arm slithers around my waist giving me a side hug. I inhale his smell of bread and soap, and my emotions are already beginning to calm down. I lean in soaking up every second of his embrace. I can't help but smile. Jamie and I have grown close enough for him to notice when my grief begins to invade. He also is smart enough to know how to cheer me up.

"So some of the guys want to play soccer, are you up for it?"

I remember this game from gym class. When I first learned about the sport, I became very excited. Something physical and tough. It sounded like something I was good at, but since I played with souls, the game was extremely boring. No one got into really playing. Well everyone except for me.

The thrill begins to flow, and I'm up on my feet before I can answer.

"Yeah sure!"

We walk over to the group Jamie was with earlier. There are 10 of us including Jamie and I; more guys then girls. Jamie attempts to introduce me to all of them, but their names fly by so fast my brain can't register. The only names I recall are Freedom, Jack, Jess, and Nate. A blonde with amazing blue eyes, and olive skin flashes me a gorgeous smile. My heart melts as he directs his eyes toward me.

"Sorry Jamie seemed to have skipped over me. I'm Isaiah."

My blush invades my face, and I give him a small wave. "Joy."

He flashes me a quick wink and my stomach swirls. "So Joy, if you want to win, you obviously should be on my team."

Jamie waves his hand out in front of him stopping Isaiah from his confident rant.

"Oh no. I'm sorry but last I checked my team kicked your ass last time we played. SO I get first pick, and I want Joy."

The girl I believe is Jess speaks up.

"I'll be on your team Isa! We can show Jamie who's boss!"

The girl flings an arm over Jamie's shoulder and leans into him. His eyes zoom to her, and I notice pink flush over his face. My mind flashes an irritated image of me squeezing in between the two of them and pushing her away. Far away like across the field. I can't help but slowly hate her even if she hasn't done anything wrong. Her ass is going down. Holding my head high I speak directly to the girl.

"Nah Jamie and I have this. We make a great team already."

I try to copy the wink Isaiah flashed me earlier, but I fail and just overly blink. When I open my eyes, the group is already running to their sides of the field. Wow smooth.

The game begins, and let's just say, I could use a years worth of lessons. I'm so accustomed to the soul version of the sport. Whenever I receive the ball, I barely flicker my leg, and it's gone. When I try to block, the players run me over, and I'm stuck on the ground inhaling dirt.

And to add onto my list of struggles, Isaiah literally never leaves me alone. Where ever I go, he's there challenging me, and it does not help my game. I find myself getting lost in his sea of blue eyes, and his smooth ease around the ball is far too advanced for me. Jamie attempts to shake him from my side, but Isaiah always locates a way back. He constantly blocks me and playfully pushes me. I secretly find myself enjoying the attention.

My team's up by one, when I finally get the hang of it to dribble the ball for more then a few seconds. I'm halfway across the field when Isaiah has found his place by my side. Stealthy his foot glides under mine, and before I can register to stop running, my body is flying through the air. The surroundings are a blur, and there's a smack when my chest pounds against Isaiah's. We tumble to the ground rolling a few times before finally settling into a resting position.

I'm on top of him, and my lungs are gasping for air. I feel the warmth I get when I make contact with Jamie, but this is different. It's not as electric, but still tempting and inviting me to acquire more

When his smirk meets me, I practically leap off of him. I brush my hair back avoiding contact with his eyes. In the corner of my vision I see the ball plummeting for Jeb's forehead. There's contact, and he frantically throws his head around trying to discover the source. A snort shoots out of my mouth, and I instantly run to retrieve the ball.

My hand brushes the air as I try and get Jeb's attention. His grunt is extra loud when he finally spots me.

"You all are going to kill me one day. Not the souls, but you young people launching soccer balls at me."

"Sorry Jeb, but I'm not very good. I can't control where I hurl the ball."

He smiles at my comment and passes me the white and black sphere. A flash of shining white grasps my attention immediately. Curiosity takes full charge, and I bend down to pick up a photo Jeb dropped. I gaze at the still faces smiling up at me. Jamie is the one that pops out the fastest; even in a picture, he can make me feel a little lighter. Jared and Mel are behind him, but there are two people I don't know. My feet carry me to Jeb as fast as possible.

"Jeb wait you dropped this!"

Fingers enclose the corners of the picture, and a grin plays on his lips

"Oh yeah I was going to show Jamie this. We got some of the pictures to develop in that disposable camera we found. This is one of them. Crazy group of wild ones."

Nosiness itches its way to the surface once again. I squint down at the photo and the unknown man becomes more recognizable. The women's eyes are closed as she brushes her nose against the mystery man's neck. They look hopelessly happy together. As cute as the group is, I can't fight off this annoying feeling in the back of my brain. This isn't the first time I have seen this man. It's all too infuriatingly familiar. The eyes, hair, jawline, I know I have seen them before. It's hunting my consciousness.

"Who are these two people?"

"Oh yes you haven't met them yet. They've been gone for a while, but that's Ian and Wanda. We are a little worried about them right now "

The picture travels closer to my face, and I analyze every detail of this persons features. It's someone I have met; maybe someone that looks like him? No. Then it hits me. It's a bullet to my mind; tearing through all the other thoughts. It kills the joy I felt two seconds earlier, and fear follows closely. It pounds my brain, and my heart is in my throat.

It's the man from the night in Tucson. The night I ran from the seekers. All I can see is him unconscious on the desert floor helpless and vulnerable. I see his limbs spread out, not moving a muscle. I taste the puke in my mouth, and force the sob in my throat down again.

I attacked Ian. I left him unconscious for the seekers.

**I hope you liked the chapter! So as you can tell there might be some love conflicts in the future! Anyway please tell me what you think! If you haven't reviewed yet, do it! I am always up to hear critique on my work.**

**Also I want to hear suggestions on what you want to see in future chapters! If you tell me something, I will try and add it to my chapters! **

**Rainbowteeth8 love talking to you like always! If you haven't read her story yet, go do it! It's called To Build a Home.**

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**Happy creativity and reading everyone!**


	9. Chapter 9 Beyond the Stars

**Ok guys! I was up late finishing the chapter! I'm so sorry it took forever! I got my computer fixed but they had to wipe the hard drive. I was super bummed because I lost the rough storyline I made, and the almost done chapter I wrote. So I have been very busy remaking the storyline and rewriting the chapter! It was fun doing it though so it wasn't bad haha the good news is, when I redid the plot, I somehow got more chapters... so the story will be longer now! yay!**

**Anyway thank you to all the new followers and favorites!**

**Also thanks to DreyMarley, Rainbowteeth, Camille, Guest, x Ragdoll Kitty x, Prettylittlefan, 12, and ME4427 for the reviews! You guys are ****awesome for taking the time to do that.**

**Anyway without further ado, Chapter 9**

Jamie POV

Beads of sweat begin to form as the caves become hotter in the span of our little game. They bring small spots of coolness reminding me of how warm I truly am. However, I try to push my mind away from the negative thoughts; instead I focus on one person. The girl that absorbs my full attention.

"Watch out Jess, I'm coming for you!"

"Oh yeah? Show me what you got!"

Her delicate light brown curls fall loosely from her bun as she charges forward attempting to pass the barrier I have created with my body. I extend my reach by folding my arms out and waving them in a half circle. Her face holds a look of determination as she fakes going right and left. Each time my hand is there obstructing her plan of escape.

"Face it Jess. You aren't passing me to get the ball."

We are far from the other players in the soccer game; it's just Jess and I alone at the other end of the field. But I don't mind at all. We are having our own private competitive bubble. Her hands fiddle with her hair as her eyes quickly scan the different possibilities of overtaking my barricade. A grunt escapes her mouth when she begins to run to my left, but her feet rapidly change directions going right. Fortunately my reactions are too quick for her and my arm collides with her body.

Giggles fill my ear as my arms carry the small body into me. I engulf her in a hug, and fingers playfully tug against my shirt searching for freedom. I lift her from the ground, and the petite body becomes smaller as she curls into a ball.

"Alright! Alright! You got me I give up!."

My grip does not filter while her struggles continue to grow stronger. Giggles keep flying from her mouth making my smile appear besides her head.

"I don't know… I think I might have to keep you as a prisoner. I will use you as leverage to the other team."

The body goes limp, and her feet meet the ground once again. Her head leans back on my chest, and I feel my heart skip a beat in reply. This is going great! My head begins to go off into my imagination, creating images of Jess and I together. This is the first time I've really interacted with her like this; lightness and excitement fill my heart.

"Jamie!" Her cry is desperate, but I am secretly hoping the tone implies she wishes for me to keep holding her.

This time it's my laughs that echo out into the field, and I regretfully loosen my arms away from her.

"Fine… I guess I can let you go."

Her face is back in my view, and a smile is playing behind her fake scowl.

"Thank-you."

As she begins to tie the loose strands of brown curls back into the bun falling from her head, I stare down, and the awkwardness begins to creep up on me again. I never know what to say to her! Instead I just continue to gaze with a stupid grin locked on my lips. I know the weirdness is all in my head, but the nagging feeling of discomfort refuses to let go. The blush begins to form, and my breath seems extra loud and annoying. It reminds me of my uneasiness whenever I'm around Jess. Knuckles collide with my shoulder lightly.

"Sucker! See you down the field Jamie!"

I'm about to follow her, but blonde locks distract me from my prey. Joy is next to Jeb talking to him about something pretty intensely. Curiosity crawls up to my mind, and blocks my interest in the game. Jess is now drifting to a hidden compartment while thoughts of Joy begin their invasion. I dash over to my new goal. As soon as I'm close enough, Jeb smiles and waves to me ushering me over to join their conversation.

Jeb palm flies to me holding out a flat picture reflecting the light from the bright sun.

"Jamie, look at the photo we finally got developed. Doc worked with that photographer guy we found a couple months ago. Didn't it turn out great? Can't remember the last photo I have had."

I gaze over the faces, and I remember the day almost instantly. We just got back from one of our most successful raids. There was so much food we didn't know what to do with it all. Most of it would expire soon so we had to eat it up fast! So without rejection from anyone, we threw a party. It was small but still great. Music, jokes, and alcohol. I shiver thinking about the first time I took a shot of whiskey. Jared poked fun of the face I made. He told me it was something out of a bad cartoon. Mel of course sent me a looks of disproval, but after a couple of shots of her own, she began chanting me on.

My smile trickles once they make their way over to Ian and Wanda. Dread fills my stomach just thinking about what may have happened to them. Wanda could be drifting off to another planet, and Ian… well he might be lost within some seeker. A sigh escapes as I push the photo away from my vision.

"Have we heard anything from them yet?"

Jeb's eyes look down, and sadness fills the corners as they drop downward. Joy is ghostly white, and I almost have to do a double take. Large round eyeballs zoom around, and the concentration sketched onto her face reveals the rapid thinking going on in her mind. I'll have to figure out what's wrong with her.

"No. Nothing."

My heart sinks further, and anxiousness starts to bubble up in my chest. They have to come back soon. Jeb clears his throat, and lifts his head high once again. His knuckles find a place on his hips, and he nudges me.

"But if I know them, they will be back in no time. Ian will kick some seeker ass."

The tiny flicker of hope flames up through me once again, and I shake my head for even thinking they might be in trouble. They would never be captured! Both Ian and Wanda are way too clever for that.

I laugh along with Jeb at our ridiculousness. My glance glides over to Joy expecting to see her grinning along with us, but instead I discover a frown with a very green face. It looks like she might throw up at any second. My whole body jumps back half anticipating puke already being on my clothes. Jeb raises his eyebrows and continues backward.

"You know honey… if you puke, you gotta clean it up yourself. My cave, my rule."

At that he turns around and begins his stroll in the other direction. My eyes roll at Jeb's constant reminder that he found the caves.

"Don't worry, if you yack I'll help."

Joy doesn't respond; instead she continues to determinedly look straight ahead. I follow her gaze to a black spot on the cave wall.

"Hey Joy if there's something you need to talk about, just know you can always talk to me. I'm willing to listen."

Eyelids flicker up and down as Joy returns back to Earth. Her features soften, but a sense of anxiety and fear creases into her look. I distinguish the battle blazing inside her mind trying to make up a decision. A sigh escapes as if giving up, and her mouth opens to begin talking.

"There's something I need to tell you. I'm not sure if you're going to like hearing it though."

Teeth begin biting her lip as she waits nervously for my reply. Her downcast eyes avoid any true contact with me. My hand meets her chin as I slowly lift it so I can look into the two green forests.

"Joy, I'm here for you. Whatever it is, I can help you. Unless you are secretly a seeker plotting to take over our brains, then it might be a little iffy. We might have to send you to the Fire Planet…"

Joy laughs weakly at my joke, and her shoulders are already relaxing. However, her body stills shakes, and the pale green color remains.

"Before I came here I…"

"Hey guys what up? Forfeiting the game already? Can't handle my skill huh?"

Isaiah comes bounding up to us with his shirt covered in grass stains. Annoyance begins to sneak its way up my spine.

"Hey Isaiah this isn't a good time."

Isaiah's eyes drift toward the picture I was still holding from Jeb. Anger folds on his brows as he takes in figures.

"Man, if Ian got caught, I can't wait to find whoever helped with the capture. We would teach them a major lesson, huh Jamie?"

His head tilts to the side and he laughs as he tries to get me to join along. I throw him a couple of fake chuckles, but they don't even convince myself. I mean I'm all for saving the human race, but I don't think I could kill a soul. Images of Wanda fill my mind and I shiver. I can't be a monster… I can't blame Isaiah though. He has never been near Wanda or Sunny; his mom, Lucina, never lets him or his brother talk to them. She has filled his head with fear and hatred towards the souls.

"Hey Joy are you ok?"

Joy's pale green is back to the full sick green. The large eyeballs reappear, and I notice her breathing has gone raspy. Fear consumes her features, and my arm goes flying to her shoulders. I hold onto her hoping she doesn't collapse. Isaiah's face is full of concern, but he backs away from the puke danger zone. His eyes scan the area looking for anyway he could help.

"Yeah fine. Why?"

Joy's lie is so bad it's almost like she is a soul herself. Her voice cracks and it gets extremely high pitched at the end. I shake my head in disbelief.

"No you aren't ok. Do you want some water?"

Isaiah's lights up at that suggestion. Before I can say anymore he jumps happily at the opportunity to do something.

"Yeah. I could run and get you some!"

"No." The reply flies out of Joy's mouth in a rush. Quickly she notices our looks of concern, and she pushes out of my grip. Her head picks up, and she tries to mask her sickness with confidence. "I mean, it's fine. I think I just ate something funny. I'm just going to go to bed."

Before I can even reply, she flashes Isaiah and I a quick wave as she goes dashing toward my room. Dumbly I wave back trying to search for answers to the questions flying around my brain. Once I see my hand in the air swaying stupidly, I glare at it and stuff it back into my pocket.

"So uh, do you and her have a thing?"

Isaiah's voice surprises me, but the question baffles me further. Do we?

"No we are just friends."

His head bounces up and down in contentment. "Oh cool, so you wouldn't mind if I went for her then?"

Automatically my eyebrows fold in confusion.

"What?!"

"Yeah I mean she's hot, and really cool. You can't blame me."

Isaiah's hides his face as he shrugs his shoulder like his reasoning should have been obvious.

"Yeah, I guess not."

"Cool man! Try to put in some good words for me, alright?"

I shake my head, but I'm still baffled by the whole conversation. What just happened? Why do I feel so frustrated? I try to retrieve the daggers my eyes send Isaiah as he strolls the other way, but my emotions get the best of me. I can't help but feel protective over Joy, and Isaiah is somewhat a player. As a friend I need to make sure she's careful; she deserves a guy who would truly care about her.

…...

When I arrive in my room that night, I try to call my inner quietness so I don't wake Joy. I see the lump of her body consumed by the large blanket. My feet tiptoe to my bed, and I practically fall from exhaustion. The soccer game was more draining then I thought. My shoes fall to the floor with a thump and my heart drops in fear that I woke Joy up from her sleep. I peek over my shoulder to see if she woke-up, but the lump is still frozen in the same position.

My head welcomes the pillow and I finally close my eyes. As tired as I am, my body is unable to fall asleep. My brain is still alive and working. It constantly nags at me about Joy and her weird behavior today. Not to mention the sentence she said before Isaiah came bounding up the field. Also the thought of Isaiah and Joy together on a date haunts me. I just can't see them working well together. To me, they just don't mush for some reason. I try to convince myself it's just me worrying about a friend.

Time ticks on and the silence is loud around me. There's nothing blocking my head from it's consecutive over-thinking. My eyes fly open tired of the failed attempts at sleep. I turn my head, and I notice Joy in the exact same position. Her face points to the ceiling, looking for answers. Trying to solve the impossible puzzle of the overly complicated life.

"Hey." My voice is hoarse from not speaking for a while and the lack of sleep.

She jumps up out of her bed, and the mattress squeaks at the movement. Shock courses through her as her hand flies to her heart. Once she realizes the sound came from me, a smile is faint in the darkness.

"Hey." Her voice is quiet and delicate, like a mouse careful of being caught by the cat.

"Can't sleep?"

"No. You?"

"Nope?'

Silence follows, but it's not awkward or uncomfortable. It's a conversation in itself, sending us understanding of the situation from the other person. I don't feel the need to fill it with uninteresting topics. We just sit and patiently wait for something worthwhile to come up, enjoying each other's company.

"Wanna see something?"

Joy returns my question with a look of suspicion, unsure if she could trust me.

"Oh come on…"

Her shoulders shrug giving up the mini fight, and she throws her feet over the bed into her warm slippers.

"Follow me."

I cup her hand in mine, and it feels right. Almost as if it was made to be there, but I smile at my outrageous thought. The whole walk over to our destination, we remain stealth through the halls. Even though it would have been easier if we walked unconnected, there is this force holding my hand in place with hers. It urges me not to let go, so I keep my palm locked with hers.

Once we are close to my spot I stop suddenly and she crashes into my back.

"Oh sorry!"

I turn to face her, and smile at the doubtful look on her face.

"K come over here and turn around."

I guide her to be in front of me while my arms slide around her shoulders. My hands cover her eyes obstructing her view of anything around us.

"Hey!" A small laugh flees from her lips, and I feel her body squirm under my embrace.

"I want it to be a surprise."

Slowly step-by-step I push her forward. My chest is against her back, and the heat between us is growing. Her heart rate picks up along with mine, and excitement fills me. I smile anticipating the moment of unfolding the spectacle.

"Ok open them."

My hands fall down from her face, and into my pockets.

A gasp flows out of her mouth and her eyes widen. I watch as her face fills with wonder and astonishment as she takes in the scene around her. Her eyes absorb the pale-yellow specks that dot the walls beyond. It reflects the giant night sky, as each light represents a star. It seems to go on for miles expanding endlessly through the tunnel of the cave.

Slowly we find our way to the floor, so we can sit to enjoy the false night sky. The look of worry no longer runs along her body; all her senses are preoccupied with the environment around us.

"It's beautiful." It comes out as a whisper; afraid that if she speaks too loudly it will all disappear.

"This is where I come when I can't sleep."

"Is this where you take every girl?"

A playful smile teases her lips, and her body leans against me for support. A tickling sensation runs along the areas we touch causing me to notice it more then usual. I laugh at her joke, and realization hits me full force.

"Actually no. I haven't showed anyone before."

Her head turns to face me as doubt crosses her face.

"Ha funny."

"Promise."

She pouts as she attempts to outsmart my comment.

"Not even Mel?"

I have to think about it, but I answer truthfully.

"Not even Mel."

The smile is back, and she looks satisfied with my answer.

"I guess that makes me special huh?"

"Don't get too cocky now."

She gives my a playful nudge and I receive a face that says "how could you." Silence then replaces the moment, and I feel completely at ease. I don't worry about trying to talk some more. Joy never pressures me to fill everything with conversation.

"You really love each other don't you?"

"Huh?" Joy breaks my attention from the false stars.

"You and Mel."

"Yeah. But she can be a pain in the ass sometimes." I send her a smirk, and she smiles in return at my joke.

"You're lucky to have her."

"Yeah I know, and I try to remind myself that. I would never want to loose her"

Her eyes send me understanding, and I can't help but notice her true beauty. Her hair flows effortlessly down to her shoulders. Her cheeks are full and rosy. The smile is white and bright surrounded my small full lips. Soft features fill her face, and a button nose is lined with a couple of faint freckles.

"What about your family?"

Joy's grin fades and I notice the grief in her look.

"My family? I felt like they never accepted me for who I am. They wanted me to be different. That's why I left."

Left? Why would she leave her family? It must have been really bad. My heart sinks and I find myself wishing to help Joy find a new family.

"You know, it's totally crazyyyyyy, but I don't think you're that bad. In fact I kinda like having you around. Maybe… if you continue to act worthy… you could join our family. Like a pretend sister"

A grin lights up on her face, and the twinkle from the bugs shine in her eyes.

"You don't know how much that means to me."

Her gaze rushes into me, and I am no longer lost in stars but in a green sea. A force almost like a magnet begins to circle around us. My body slowly grows closer to her face, and I notice that she is drifting toward me as well. I can't break the compelling power it has over me; all I can do is float forward. I don't even want to break the weird energy. Instead I absorb it.

A drip of water pulls me out of the trance, and I awkwardly cough as Joy pulls away. Dazed and confused we look at each other and smile. What was I doing? We are just friends. There is no connection there. I must be really sleepy…

I stand to leave, and Joy immediately copies my movement.

"You know it was actually Ian who showed my this place when I thought I lost Mel. It helped me with some rough nights. Don't be afraid to come down here if you have a lot on your mind."

"Ok." It comes out in a squeak, and Joy is pale once again. She rubs her arm uncomfortably. I can tell she's hiding something.

"You don't think Ian's really captured do you?"

It all snaps together at once. Why she was acting weird, and why she looked so scared. She's afraid for Ian and Wanda. That's what up. I feel instant relief knowing what has been bothering her.

"Ian and Wanda can handle themselves. Don't worry. The only way they would get caught is if one of them were out cold, unable to get away. But that would almost be impossible."

**Sorry if you thought it was a little cheesy, but I am a romantic soooo I love romance. But I always hate when things get too mushy. Anyway romance is beginning to bloom with multiple characters so get ready for that.**

**I know nothing too exciting like the last cliffhanger but you gotta have fluff.**

**Also for all those Americans out ****there... HAPPY FORTH OF JULY!**

**Anyway if you want some good Host stories read To Build a Home by Rainbowteeth8. Also another good story is Take What you can Carry by straightneverland.**

**Happy reading and creativity everyone :)!**


	10. Chapter 10 Distractions

**Hello everyone! I personally love this chapter... I think I did a pretty good job! Then again I'm extremely biased haha **

**Thank you to all the new follows and favorites! I literally am in shock that I almost have 50 follows! Holy cow!**

**Special thanks to Rainbowteeth8, DreyMarley, ME4427, Kvdm223, and BecauseYourWorthIt for the reviews! I really appreciate the feedback!  
**

**Enough jabber time for the chapter!**

Joy POV

The soft warm dough flattens effortlessly with every harsh pound of my fist. Each collision fights against the numerous conflicts arising within my thoughts. Why did Ian have to grab me?! Pound! Why did I have to hit him?! Crush! Why does this have to happen to me?! Strike?! AHHHHHHHHH! Beat! Thump! Crash!

"Woah there Joy!"

Jamie's hand grabs one of my wrists stopping me from my continual beating of the dough. The faint heat from the touch doesn't even register as I am too focused on my own turmoil.

"You know you aren't trying to kill the helpless food. For someone with a cheery name, you certainly are acting super cranky right now."

My heart stinks at the realization. I guess I have been particularly moody lately, but that's because my guilt is eating me from the inside! If he ever found out what I did, he would never want to help me again, but Ian could be dying! He just doesn't understand how much I want to be with other humans! Trying to hide my true feelings, my eyes turn to slits as I glare at him for his rude interruption of my work.

"Excuse me. I think I am doing a fine job thank-you."

My free hand curls into a fist and it flies down to meet the dough once again. The crash is the strongest one yet, and a white cloud puffs up encompassing my body. Pretty soon I have a coat of flour all around me. I'm a ghost in the presence of the red caves. My mouth falls open in shock as I register what just happened. Jamie begins to burst out laughing and it echoes through the kitchen making it louder.

"Oh… hahaha… yeah…. Hahaha… you are…. Hahaha…. doing a real…. Haha…. fine job alright."

I try to hold my glare towards him but my eyes can't help but turn upward in a smile. Souls would never make a mistake like this, let alone laugh at it. Yet another difference between my family and me, but I find myself enjoying it instead of loathing it. The incident is like something out of those old human TV shows. A few giggles escape from me, and they dance along with Jamie's chuckles.

"Oh yeah, well let's see how you like it."

Before I can regret it, my hand picks up a handful of flour and chucks it at Jamie. The flour missile is a direct hit as the white powder fills his face. Stunned his chocolate brown eyes flicker open and bits of flour begin to cascade to the freshly powdered floor. A white smile appears and it almost blends in with his white face.

"Oh you are going to wish you didn't do that."

I barely shake my head no before he launches more flour towards me. A squeal journeys from me as I fail to dodge it. An actual squeal of laughter! I can't remember the last time I have done that… wait have I ever done that? Everything was so strict at home.

More flour flies through the air as we begin our battle against each other. Colors are indistinguishable as we continue to bombard each other with more powder. Giggles and laughter fill the kitchen and the nearby hallways, and I desperately pick up a plate using it as a tiny shield. Jamie creeps out behind his hiding spot launching handful after handful at my face. Blindly I fling more into the air hoping it will find its target. Suddenly Jamie's arms engulf me, and he struggles to get me to fall into the piles that have built on the ground. I push against him trying to make his plan backfire.

Jamie's foot looses its balance and we go tumbling down together. A cloud puffs up from the unexpected drop. Another squeal escapes and my body meets Jamie's as we hit the floor. Refusing to let go, he rolls me over forcing my back into the pools of white. My hands fly up in surrender and I stop moving.

"Ok! Ok! Stop!"

Immediately the pressure is released, but his arms refuse to leave me. His warmth vibrates through me fueling my adrenaline. When my face finds his, we are both out of breath trying to recover quickly. I haven't has that much fun in years! It is something I never even dreamed out doing. The souls would have thought I was crazy, but this is just too wonderful!

Suddenly I notice an unusual twinkle behind his stare, and I can't help but feel a blush rush to my cheeks. Thank god for this lair on me helping me hide my emotions. The gaze is intense and alluring, and I can't find the strength to look away.

As suddenly as the desire came, it disappeared. The silly old gaze of Jamie has returned.

"I so won."

My smile widens and I shake my head in disbelief. How can he make me even happier then I already am?

"No you did not!"

"Huh-hemmm"

Jeb's voice scares us and we are back onto our feet before he could make another sound.

"You know, if I wanted to waste food, I woulda put Sunny on duty this morning."

Jeb's face is serious, but I see a tiny flicker of amusement in his eyes.

"Oh come on Jeb. We were just having a little… fun. We'll clean it up."

Content, Jeb nods his head in agreement.

"You better cause it's…"

"your cave your rules!" Jamie finishes the sentence for Jeb, and winks at me. I suddenly suck in a breath.

"Alright well. I think you got the rules then. I'll leave it to you two to clean it up."

Jeb waddles down the pathway leaving Jamie and I in solitude once again. White footprints appear after each step. Jamie eyes me and snickers; I hold in my laughter afraid Jeb might notice.

"Well… I say we shower off first. Hopefully old Mags will do the cleaning for us while we are gone."

"Is that alright if she does?"

Jamie's smile brightens and he puts his arm around my shoulders. My lungs tighten and I'm suddenly out of breath again.

"Eh, she loves to clean!"

As we walk towards the baths, a tall blonde and tiny brunette appear in front of out path. My heart skips a beat when I notice its Isaiah. Suddenly I feel self-conscious that I am covered in flour.

"Hey guys." Isaiah's smooth voice melts my heart further and I practically drool as my eyes devour his shirtless chest. A perfect six pack including a nice v fills my vision with pleasure. My heart goes to my throat discontinuing any chance I have at a regular conversation.

"Ew what's all over you guys?"

When I notice Jess besides Isaiah, my mood sickens. Jamie, however, is the opposite; he answers her almost too quickly.

"Flour. Joy and I had some trouble baking."

Isaiah's eyebrows skyrocket and he gives me a half smile.

"Just don't spread that trouble." Jess takes a step back away from us afraid to get the powder on her. Jamie's smile unfolds mischievously.

"Oh I think your clothes are a little too clean right now."

Scared, Jess retreats further, while Jamie advances on his target. Pretty soon they both go sprinting. Jess is trying to avoid the love, while Jamie is taking swipes trying to pull her into a hug; my eyes roll in at the disgusting flirtation.

"Hey I think you missed a spot."

My focus goes back to Isaiah and his sky blue eyes comfort me from the previous sight.

"Wait really?!" My spirits lift quickly, and I jump around trying to see the clear spot. If I can show Jamie, I will win our war.

"Yeah riiiiiiight here!" Isaiah's palm meets my face and it turns back and forth spreading the flour softly. I swat his hand away teasingly, and he eventually stops letting me receive a small victory.

"See it looks more complete now." Another flicker of my heart occurs when his smile is directed straight towards me. For the second time today, intensity greets my line of vision. I try to look away a few times, but I find myself always going back to him.

"You know, you're different Joy."

The happy feelings I just had suddenly flicker. I try to hold back the tears. Of course he notices I'm different. I can't just blend in... I can't fit in anywhere. Isaiah notices my change in mood and desperately tries to recover his statement.

"Not in a bad way! Like most girls would never get into a food fight."

Just after his sentence Jess screams as Jamie has finally caught her.

"NO! JAMIE! This was a new shirt! Ahh!"

Isaiah shakes his head and shrugs proving his point.

"See! Right there exactly. You're just a breath of fresh air. It's nice."

My brain frantically searches for a reply, but all that bursts out is, "Thanks."

Still holding his strong stare he blows some of the leftover flour on his hand back to me.

"Next time I'm on baking duty, remind me to do it with you. It would makes things a whole lot more enjoyable."

At that he winks and then turns around to walk away. My heart is pounding, and head is too fuzzy to reply. As soon as I'm able to recover I stride up next to Jamie, and he holds a goofy smile frozen on his features.

"Hellllooooo Earth to Jamie!"

Still in the same position, he continues to stare off after Joy. I suddenly feel a small sense of disappointment, defeat almost, when I finally accept the obvious.

"You really like Jess don't you?"

At that Jamie spazzes out of focus and stares at me in disbelief.

"What? No!"

I give him my best do-you-think-I'm-dumb face? He swallows in loss.

"Yeah I do."

"You should ask her on a date."

His body jolts in shock, and his eyes bug out of his head.

"No way!"

"Why not? She clearly likes you."

This time eagerness and delight replace the shock.

"Really?"

"Duh."

"Well even if she did say yes I don't know what we would do."

I roll my eyes at his naivety. Really you would think he was the one who grew up with souls. An image of one of the failure dates I've been on glides into my head.

"Pack a dinner and have a picnic together Friday evening. It would be fun."

Jamie nods approving of my idea, and his feet have already begun their travels to Jess. However, he gives the impression he might puke at any second.

"Joy you are a genius! I am so happy you came to the caves!"

Satisfaction triumphs over me as he goes dashing toward the petite girl. I don't know if the triumph is from setting Jamie up with Jess or having Jamie be glad I'm here. Though when I think about the first choice, my eyes fill with frustrated tears. Turning away from the love spectacle, my gaze goes onto the bare back of Isaiah. His muscles flex when he walks, and a brilliant idea collides into my thoughts. If Jamie can have a date, why can't I?

Quickly my feet carry me towards my blonde beauty. When I am within hearing range I yell out.

"Wait Isaiah! What are you doing Friday night?"

At that moment, my real drama involving Ian was the furthest thing from my mind.

Wanda POV

Glowing red appears in front of me as my eyelids leak out the light from the suddenly bright room. Chills run down my spine, as I smell the all too familiar sent of fellow souls. My heart rate picks up at the sudden idea that all of my adventures with Ian and Mel were just a dream. Oh Ian.

"Please friend. Wake up."

A hand shakes my shoulder while another grabs it and pulls me out of my seated position. My eyes flicker open and everything appears white except the contrasting black uniforms of the Seekers. My empty stomach lurches at the sight.

Maybe they just have me. Maybe Ian is all right. Oh Ian I wish you were with me right now. If you were here, we could break out in no time. Whenever we are together, our team is unstoppable.

I think this repeatedly trying to reassure myself but I know I am lying. Images of the horrifying night fill my vision.

_Ian helpless on the ground, the girl running away into nothingness, and the distance sounds of seekers approaching fast. My arms strain to pick Ian off the dirt, but my body is too weak. Pet was never able to reach the same strength as Mel. I cry into his chest wishing I could protect him like he always protects me. My struggle continues until the first intruder grabs me from behind, pulling me away from my Ian. _

_ "Stop! He's a soul! I was healing him!"_

_ They continue to hold me as they pull back his lids checking his eyes for the reflection. Of course all they find is the perfect blue circles. I desperately pull on their hands attempting an escape, but my fingers refuse to hurt them. There has to be a way to save him without bloodshed. _

_ "Please, let me help him! He's just unconscious!"_

_ The desperation in my voice hides the lie. More tears pour down my cheeks. The emotions inside me are strong and I can't control all of them. _

_ A puff of smoke appears before my nose, and my deep sobs and gasps allow it to travel into my mouth. Everything immediately becomes fuzzy, and Ian is all I see once the world turns black. _

I new fresh tear creeps slowly down my face. How could I let Ian down. If I could be brave and strong like him or Mel we wouldn't be in this mess. Hurting others is evil and unimaginable, but it could have prevented this outcome.

The seekers set me down in a cold metal chair before leaving me alone in the white room. I sigh at the familiarity. It does not feel long ago that I was in a similar room, but with Mel in the back of my brain. My heart aches wishing Mel were talking to me now. Instead I have an empty head with nothing but my worst fears at the moment.

"Good evening friend."

A tall red haired woman strides into the room with determination locked onto her eyes. They target me, and I squirm uneasy in my chair.

"Hello."

"Would you like anything to drink? Water? I know you must have had a rough few days."

I shake my head no instead of replying with words.

"What exactly did happen to you?"

Now is the time to redeem myself. Maybe I can convince them to let Ian go.

My lips stay in a firm line, but my shoulders move up and down in a shrug. My lying unfortunately has not improved any even with my practice with Ian during our missions.

"I see. What about the man we found? Do you remember him?"

My eyes try to look down for cover, but my initial reaction was too fast. The Seeker smiles as she caught my look of concern at the mention of Ian.

"So it does ring a bell? Will you please let us know all about this man? Tell us all about your evil human kidnapper."

Anger bubbles as she calls my Ian evil. I try to fight the emotions by telling myself she does not know the real true Ian, but I can't help it. How can she just judge him immediately?

"He isn't evil!"

My lips pinch shut after my outburst. Quickly my soul side refocuses my energy, and the angry disappears again. I remain silent listening to anything but the Seeker. Back and forth my head shakes no again. Disappointed the seeker stands pulling on the wall to reveal a large television screen.

"I see. Maybe this will help you find your voice again."

An image replaces the black rectangle. Ian's body fills the screen, and a wave of emotions collides into me. His soft wild black hair sends a tingling sensation to my fingertips as I picture myself running them through his locks while we kiss passionately. Pink lips rest closed and peacefully, and I try not to blush thinking about wanting to touch mine to his. His face rests tranquil almost as if he was sleeping. My hand lifts slightly, floating in the air like I could reach through the television to him. The Seeker eyes me questionably. My heart sinks as I notice where he is lying. My Ian, my love, is in the operation room with healers surrounding him. It's the prep stage before the insertion of a soul. My voice is too quick to stop itself.

"Please don't! He is kind. A soul does not need to take his body."

The seeker blinks as if she just misheard me. Her mouth opens to say something but closes again as her brows fold down confused.

"He did not kidnap me."

"So you do know information on this human?"

I swallow deeply realizing my mistake. Silence is my only reply. I'm too afraid to say anything else.

"Please friend. Help us. Humans are tricky and will fool you. They are not trustworthy. Whatever reason for protecting him try and forget it. It is most likely a lie. We are sure he is part of the resistance that has recently taken a very important figure hostage. The President's daughter is missing; has your precious human told you that information?"

More silence follows, and the seeker frowns disappointed in my lack of cooperation. I can't help but thank Mel for teaching me how to be stubborn.

"Very well."

Her long fingers press against a tiny red button on the wall.

"Prepare the human for insertion."

"NO!"

My outburst frightens the woman and her eyes grow large in panic. As soon as she recovers her head moves back and forth.

"Please find the motivation to help your fellow brothers and sisters dear one. If you do not begin to work with me, I have to decide that the humans have influenced you too much. Once that is the case, we are obligated to send you to another planet. However, if you answer our questions, we can allow a nice peaceful soul to live inside your dear companion. Then you two can happily live together forever. It is your choice."

**Well what did you think?! Did you like Wanda's POV? I know Wanda and Ian are a lot of people's favorite characters so I decided to let you guys have a little glimpse on what is happening to them. It's a little different format then the other chapters, but it gives it some new perspectives.**

**Also which couple do you like the best... so far in development we have Isaiah and Joy, Jess and Jamie, or Jamie and Joy. Wow didn't realize until now that there are a lot of J names... Anyway let me know your favorite! Who would you like to see end up together?**

**Remember to hit those buttons below! Don't be shy! Follow, fav, or review! I love feedback! Don't be afraid to let me know if you think something is off about my story! Or if you really like something! **


	11. Chapter 11 Interruption

**Thank-you to all the new followers and favorites! 51 followers! Holy crap! This is unbelievable! I'm so glad you all are enjoying my story!**

**Also special thanks to DreyMarley, Rainbowteeth8, Camille, 12, Prettylittlefan, and Guest for your reviews! You have helped getting past 50 reviews and that is just great! Hearing your input is wonderful!**

**Now here is the next chapter!**

Nerves vibrate up and down my spine as I patiently wait for Jess to arrive at our meeting spot. My fingers constantly run through my hair fighting back against the nervous energy; the continuous movement helps me think about something other then the fact I'm about to go on a date with Jess. I pause when I realize that my anxious twitches are also messing up my hair. Shit. I need to fix this asap.

Frantically I reach down and grab a spoon that's within my reach. I squint into my small reflection straining my eyes to see the damage I have caused to my looks. However, the small metal globe continues to make my nose look huge, and it shrinks my head vividly. Stupid spoon.

"Hey, whatcha doing?"

Jess's voice nearly gives me a heart attack, and I forcefully throw the spoon across the kitchen. It lodges into the wall with a large clang, and a chuck of rock falls to the ground with the metal.

"Opps."

Jess begins to laugh and eyes me with an amused gaze. I smile in return as my heart continues to beat out of my chest. My hands begin to feel extremely warm and clammy. Consciously I tap them casually against my jeans in attempt to seem less nervous. Jess cocks her head to the side and pouts dramatically.

"Did you do something with your hair?"

Shit she noticed. I probably look like a total idiot.

"No! I uhhhh just…"

Struggling to make a sentence appear, my cheeks begin to burn. I can already tell my face is bright red, which only causes me to blush even more. My hand flies up to my head to begin its attempt to fix the messy locks. To my surprise Jess reaches up and grabs my wrist. Slowly she brings my arm back to my side, and her reassuring gaze fills me with warmth.

"No don't. I like it. It's cute."

I release a sigh of relief, and head spins at the idea she might think I'm cute. Sure it's not hot or sexy, but I can deal with cute. Well that is if it's not little brother cute. My shoulders begin to tense up again, but my brain lectures me to calm down. I take a large inhale that reinforces my minds nagging. I snap back into reality in time for Jess to be looking around the kitchen for some hint on what we will be doing.

"So what's the plan?"

"Oh we are just going to sit here."

Jess's baffled face turns to hide her shock, and she begins to scan the room more intensely searching for the reason why we would stay here. I guess she didn't pick up on my sarcasm. This makes it a tad more awkward. I clear my throat drawing her attention back to me, and my hands reach under the table to grab the picnic basket I packed. It took a lot of smuggling food past Jeb to fill this baby. My mental smirk greets me at all those times I snuck past Jeb to the extra supply room.

"I'm joking. We are going to have a little picnic. Food a la Jamie!"

Her face lights up with delight excited to learn that I was joking about staying in the dining hall. Fingers try to open up the lid to my basket to get a sneak peak at the food, but I swat her hand away quickly shoving the carrier further behind my back.

"NO PEAKING!"

Instantly her hands fly up in surrender, and giggles greet my protest.

"Alright oh master Jamie."

"Now that's more like it. Follow me."

My body turns to begin to lead the way down the pathways to the spot I have picked for our private late night dinner. Unexpectedly a soft delicate hand wraps into mine, and my stomach swirls at the gesture. My eyes shift over to Jess; she's staring straight ahead, but I catch her lips playfully smiling in triumph. My fingers grip a tiny bit tighter.

After a short walk we reach our destination. I stop before the crop fields in the middle of the main cave area. The mirrors are tucked into the shadowy deeps so the area is not bright like it usually is. Instead its dark, and the night sky can be scene through the holes in the ceiling. A soft breeze blows through sending a refreshing breath of fresh air into our lungs. For some reason my brain drifts off to Joy. I wonder what she's up to…

"The crops… why are we here?"

I try to conceal my overly excited grin when I turn toward her.

"Oh just wait and see."

Gently I begin pushing long strands of wheat to the side so we can begin to make our journey through the large area. The strips of plant tickle our legs as we stroll through. I continue to grow more and more impatient with each step we take. Once we reach the middle a large cotton blanket is set up in a nice area where I have recently picked the crops earlier today. The soft fabric looks inviting, and perfect. Jess's smile begins to replace the features of terror that were there earlier.

My hand guides her to the blanket, and when I let go, I bow deeply and theatrically.

"Here we are madam."

More giggle pass, and she finds her seat in the warm cotton. I immediately follow her, and sit close so we are touching. I notice a light shade of pink invading her cheeks.

"Here lean back."

My head goes back and my shoulders shuffle as they try to get in a comfortable position. Jess mimics my moves, and soon she is right beside be gazing up at the giant sky beyond the hole in the cave. The stars twinkle and greet us. It's so vast and beautiful; the idea that there are numerous planets we don't know about blows my mind. I begin to reply all of the stories Wanda has told over the years.

"Crazy isn't it? That the souls came from a place billions of miles away?"

Jess's body squirms next to me, and her elbow pushes into my side.

"Yeah I guess. I wish it wasn't that way though."

Immediately I prop myself up on my elbows to examine her face.

"Why? We wouldn't have Wanda then."

Her eyes avoid mine when she responds.

"Wanda's great, but wouldn't you rather have your family back?"

My thoughts go fuzzy with confusion.

"Wanda is part of our family."

Sitting up, Jess eyes me expectedly. Her gaze gives the impression that the answer is obvious.

"Like our real family Jamie. Your mom and dad. My parents…"

A spark of frustration flies through me. Since when does she not like Wanda? I guess I have never seen her talk to her, but I only assumed it was because she was a little shy. Doubt begins to creep up into my brain. Quickly I change the subject.

"So want to try some of the food?"

Nods of agreement answer, and I begin shuffling through the basket to find our first part of the meal. I dig out some cupcakes that were the toughest object to sneak by Jeb.

"Who says we can't start with dessert?"

"You are a genius!"

Jess snags the delicious treat out of my hand, and immediately begins to dig in. I smile triumphantly knowing I did a job well done. Mid-bite into my own delicacy my ears pick up on some brushing from the grass. Footsteps follow and soon I can pick up on some voices.

"This is my favorite spot to come when no one is looking!"

Flutters spin in my stomach, and instantly I am more alert. That's Joy's voice.

"Well I'm glad we are going."

The flutters then turn to sickening hurls. Isaiah is with her. My mood suddenly worsens, but when they emerge from the crops, my breath catches. Joy's green eyes are somehow even greener with a splash of make-up. They twinkle with happiness, and her smile is wide and bright. Her short hair falls delicately in loose curls, and her cheeks are rosy and alive. I can't seem to take my eyes off of her.

"Oh hey Jamie."

Joy acts surprised, but I can see through her false gasp. It's like she was expecting me to be here. Suddenly I begin to feel irritated. Did she do this on purpose? Is she trying to ruin my date?

"Hey guys. What are you doing here?"

Joy wraps her arms around Isaiah, and he grins down at her. I instantly snake an arm around Jess's shoulders.

"Well I'm showing Isaiah one of my favorite places."

Her tone tries to convey innocence, but I am having a hard time believing her. My eyes begin reading her every gesture.

"Really? Huh… Joy can I talk to you for a second."

A pout unfolds on her lips and her eyebrows lift slightly in shock.  
"Yeah sure. That is if Isaiah is ok with it. I don't want to leave him alone."

Of course Isaiah has to agree. More frustration builds inside me, and I just want to pull her away myself.

"Uh yeah sure that's fine with me. I'll just stay here with Jess."

I snatch Joy's hand tugging her away from the group. Each step away from Isaiah seems to do wonders on my attitude. Though I still want to punch him in the face, which is strange. I mean yeah normally Isaiah is annoying and cocky, but I never really want to resort to violence. I need to figure this shit out.

As soon as we are far enough away to not be heard, I sharply turn back to Joy.

"What are you doing?"

"Well I'm on a date with Isaiah."

"No shit Sherlock."

Joy immediately glares at me in response to my comment. Guilt pings me, but I remind myself that she is purposely sabotaging my date. I try to recover myself in the argument.

"You knew I was going to be on a date with Jess! I told you we were going to be here."

"Oh well I didn't know you meant here."

Innocence plays in her eyes, and I try to hold on strong to my point. It's getting increasingly more difficult with her eyes gazing into me.

"Joy come on don't give me that. Why are you even here with Isaiah in the first place?"

Innocence disappears and her defensive mode begins to carry over.

"Because Isaiah is great! And why can't I have a date when you have one?"

The awful images of Joy and Isaiah together increase my disgust.

"He just isn't a good fit for you. He's a player and he is just using you."

More anger convulses from Joy. She is trying to remain calm, but her voice shrills loosing her patience.

"Admit it Jamie. You just don't want me to be with any guy. You can have Jess but I can't have anyone. Is that right?"

Defensively I shake my head, and laugh at her accusation.

"No! You can date who ever you want! See if I care."

Disappointment seems to hide in her eyes, but she blinks it away jabbing her finger into my chest repeatedly.

"Fine! (Jab) I (Jab) pick (Jab) Isaiah (JAB JAB JAB!)"

Quickly she turns around and begins to march back to the spot. I follow her closely whispering frantically.

"Well when he dumps you for the next best thing, don't come crying to me!"

A large huff of air flows out, and she picks up her pace. In no time we are back with Isaiah and Jess. Joy practically jumps into his arms when we return. I can't handle this…

"Hey Jess, do you want to get out of here? We've hogged this spot long enough. I think we can let them have it for a while."

My eyes avoid the spot where Joy and Isaiah are sitting. If I see them together again acting all lovey dovey, I might hurl.

"Yeah sure! It was nice to see you guys!"

Jess waves to them while I am already making my way through the field to get as far away as possible. Wild footsteps jog up beside me, and Jess huffs out of breath.

"Woah wait up speedy!"

I pause allowing her to reach me. Once we are together again we continue to walk down in silence. The picture of Joy with Isaiah consumes my brain not allowing me any peace.

After a few minutes Jess brushes her hand along my arm

"Hey Jamie this has been wonderful! But I should really head off to bed. I have the early morning cooking shift."

Disappointment sags on my heart. This is a disaster. My head hangs down sad that the date ended at this note. It could have been so much better. Jess lifts my head and there is a true smile beaming at me.

"I really did have a fantastic time. We should do it again… soon!"

Then her lips brush against my cheek. It's soft and delicate, but it tingles with fire. Even after her lips move away, the buzzing sensation stays, and I stupidly put my hand over the area.

"Bye Jamie!"

Still recovering from the moment, all I can do is lift my hand to wave my goodbye. It floats awkwardly above me not sure what its doing. Even after she's gone it remains there.

A hand contacts my shoulder and spins me around quickly. Mel's concerned gaze snaps me back into reality.

"Jamie! Jared, Jeb, and I need to talk to you."

"Look, I'm pretty tired and I…"

"NO! Now!"

The interruption scares me into listening. This has to be big for Mel to be so worried.

"What's up?"

Jared digs into his pocket and reveals a familiar looking pair of sunglasses. The white slash on the side exposes that the owner is Ian. He wraps his free hand around Mel for support.

"We found these by the city. They are Ian's. The dirt also showed that there was a struggle."

Dread slowly crawls its way into my heart.

"I don't understand."

This time Mel stops Jared from answering. She looks up at him and her gaze lets him know that she wants to explain the rest. Jared squeezes her hand for support.

"Ian and Wanda were captured."

Denial attempts to make its way through.

"No! That's impossible."

"Jamie they have been gone for days! It's the only explanation."

Before I can recall what's going on, my feet are carrying me to the entrance of the cave.

"We have to go save them."

Sadness fills Mel, and it look as if she is fighting back tears.

"We can't."

"Why not!?"

This time Mel explodes loosing her patience with the facts of the situation.

"We have no idea where they are! Which facility they are in! We are useless and on a dead end path with information!"

Silence passes, and my brain tries to organize the information she just gave me. She puffs out breaths still recovering from her outburst. I begin to feel hopeless.

"So what's going to happen?"

More water builds on the edges of her eyes, and they close creating a barrier so it won't spill over.

"We can only hope they escape."

Already fearing the answering to my question, I hesitate before responding.

"And if they don't?"

This time Jeb steps forward beside Mel. His face is grim, and extremely pale. There are bags under his eyes from the stress of the situation.

"We will have to evacuate the caves."

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Were there any surprises? Are you happy the date was a little awkward?**

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	12. Chapter 12 Inner Battle

**Hello! I am feeling extra happy today because I finished my first ****fan fiction yay! Though you are not here for that story, you are here for Jamie and Joy!**

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**That being said, I hope everyone fully enjoys this chapter! **

Ian's POV

Faint voices echo through the bright room. My mind is climbing its way out of the unconsciousness; out of the dark nothingness. Quickly my thoughts register that I don't have control over my body but hearing is the only aspect I have left. Dazed I try to take in my surroundings, but nothing responds to my commands. My eyes try to open, but the darkness remains. I feel vulnerable and exposed. Come on arm, lift up!

Nothing happens. I try to sigh in disappointment, but even that doesn't happen. Wow I am in quite the situation. The voices pick up becoming louder than before. Listening might be my best chance at survival at this point. If I can't use anything else I might as well try to attack them in the best way I can. Lamely I focus only on my hearing.

"I think his medicine might be wearing off. He has been under for quite sometime my friend. We do not want him waking up and attacking us."

Where am I? Those are definitely souls, but my brain doesn't register being attacked by them. All I remember is the human girl running. I tried to save her, but I made the mistake of grabbing her instead of explaining myself. Wanda tugged and warned me, but I didn't listen. I stupidly didn't listen…

Wanda! Panic erupts in my heart. She had to get away. I desperately hope she left me. Dread spreads through my spine as I already know she would do anything to protect me.

"Good point Healer. Has the one called Wanda told us anything?"

My heart sinks to my stomach. Desperately my mind shouts to my limbs to move. To escape and free my Wanderer. Frustration overwhelms me when all I do is lie there.

"No. We are preparing her body for a transfer. Another planet would be a better lifestyle for her."

NO! They can't do that! They have to take me instead! My voice screams out, but it's only in my imagination. Leave her alone! Don't take her! Do what you want with me, but leave her! WANDA! NO! MOVE DAMMIT! WHY CAN'T I MOVE!

My finger lifts half an inch with my rage giving me strength. Come on!

Defeat begins to flow through as my body refuses to listen, but I still struggle and fight for Wanda. I will do anything to save her. I will not let myself give up!

The healers pop off a lid to a can, and I instantly know it's the knock-out gas. My time is wearing thin, and I have no plan other then to yell at myself. It's now or never! Wanda can't leave! I won't abandon Wanda!

Suddenly a loud earsplitting alarm begins to ring through the building. Panicked the healers drop the can and it smacks the ground with a loud ding. They try to shout at each other, but it blends in with the loud alert. Hands instantly begin to strap me to the bed, but they are too frazzled to do a good job. If I were to wake up right now, I could easily break free.

A large bang appears in the background while the room continues to vibrate. A frantic woman bursts through the door.

"We have human intruders! All souls are asked to evacuate the building."

Humans? Are they here for me? What if they are not from the caves and try to kill Wanda! I have to get out of here!

"What about the human?"

My prayers fly hoping they will just forget about me.

"Leave him for now. The doors will lock."

Joy overpowers my emotions, and I can't help but feel too lucky. I know something has to go wrong soon.

Quickly the two healers rush out the door along with the women. Fortunately they forgot to give me more gas before they left. My lone finger taps against the bed impatiently waiting for the rest of my senses to come back. Wanda I am coming for you.

Joy POV

Each footstep through the field creates more anger inside of me. It bubbles and builds giving me the feeling that I am going to erupt with full wrath. I try to swallow it down, but it remains, leaving a bitter feeling within my whole body. Even in Isaiah's warm arms, I can't relax into them, and for some odd reason in the pit of my stomach I wish they were Jamie's.

Ahhhh I'm such an idiot! Why in the world would I want Jamie here? He just completely humiliated me and yelled at me for no reason. And the nerve he has to tell me whom I can and can't date! I don't go running around telling him he can't see Jess! True I knew he was going to be here, but I didn't know what time… Who am I kidding, I wanted to check-up on him! But only because I was afraid his date might be going horribly wrong. Not that Jamie would be the one to make it go wrong, I just thought Isaiah and I could help.

Guilt begins to work its way into my irritation, and my heart begins to feel heavy. Maybe he did have a point. Maybe I shouldn't have brought Isaiah here… But he has no right to tell me Isaiah is not good for me! He has no idea who is good for me! The anger quickly overshadows the brief remorse I felt. My whole body is vibrating in frustration.

When I can't hear Jamie and Jess's path among the field any longer a spark of disappointment faintly arises. It's probably because I don't have the chance to throw a rock at his head anymore. The deep male voice frightens me bringing me back from my mind's frantic thoughts.

"Hey are you alright?"

I suddenly feel a little uncomfortable on Isaiah's lap, and I begin to struggle my way out of his grip. The cool air refreshes my hot skin, and my head seems to become less frantic.

"Yeah I'm fine."

"Oh so being red with anger with steam practically fuming out of your ears is perfectly normal for you? Duly noted."

I turn to give him my best glare, but his face mimics mine and forms the exact same stare. Instantly I break my hold and burst out in giggles releasing the built up rage. It's continuous, and I can't seem to stop laughing. Everything seems too hilarious right now. Each problem in my life just becomes increasingly silly. How much fury I have in me, and how horrified my parents would be if I still lived with them. The fact that I still want Jamie here even though I want to smack him in the face. Isaiah's weird face, and the constant nervous swirls he gives my stomach. I feel as if anyone could do anything, and I would just find it the most amusing thing in the world. What is going on?!

My laughing fit continues, and Isaiah eyes me like I might be crazy. He throws in a few awkward chuckles, which only encourages my emotional outbreak.

"What's so funny? My face really was not that hilarious."

His voice portrays discomfort as he tries to understand the joke. In between gasps for air I try in vain to explain my weirdness, but it just comes out in muffled words. I have to calm down or he is going to send me to doc to get my brain checked out. Is this normal? Why am I so strange? Do other people do this?

Slowly my laughs fade, and my stomach cries out in pain. I clench it struggling to keep the agony from increasing. Tears roll down my face, and my fingers lightly dab them away. Once I am able to catch my breath, Isaiah sends me more questioning glances.

"So why are we laughing?"

"Oh Jamie. He just is so ridiculous sometimes. It makes me sooooooo…. UGHHHHH." My hands fly in the air throwing a few weak punches at nothing.

Again his eyes squint concerned by my reaction. He speaks carefully so I won't continue my out-of-control laughing spree.

"And you find that funny?"

"Yeah I guess I do. Is that weird?"

My arms wrap around my bent legs, and my chin rest lightly on my knees. This time I send him a concerned look, and he is the one that bursts out laughing.

"Yeah a little, but that's alright. I like how you're different."

This time I turn my face away so he can't see me blush. All these years I have been told that being odd was unacceptable; it was nice to hear someone like me for who I am. It's refreshing! The only other person I really feel comfortable being myself around is Jamie, but I don't particularly like him at the moment. Happily I replace his name with Isaiah's on my list. Enough with Jamie.

Isaiah's strong arms soon wrap themselves around me, and we fall gently to the soft blanket. The cotton tickles my exposed skin, and I completely relax filling my whole body with the blanket. My nose nuzzles further into the fabric, but all I can smell is Jamie. The mixture of soap and bread makes my stomach turn. How can I still be upset by him; I wish he would stop invading my thoughts. A sigh escapes as I quickly get my nose away from the blanket. Isaiah picks up on my discomfort.

"Hey don't worry about Jamie. He's just stupid and I think a little jealous."

Jealous? My mind quickly wipes away all the other jabber, and I find myself deeply interested in what Isaiah has to say. Scared that he will drop the subject I chime in instantly.

"Jealous? Why would he be jealous?"

"Well first there's me and my great looks." Isaiah shoots me a sexy pout and I roll my eyes at his silliness. Then his face turns serious, and there seems to be fragments of fear in his eyes.

"And I think he might like you."

My heart flutters sending a light feeling through my body. Could it be true? Is there a possibility he might find me more then just a friend. I shake my head immediately vanquishing the thought.

"No. Jamie and I are just friends. He is just being overprotective."

Relief seems to wash through Isaiah and his body appears to be less tense.

"Good because I would hate it if he swept up and stole my chances with you."

I squeeze him tighter trying to send him the message that he has nothing to worry about. However, the gesture is awkward and tense. The bizarre thing is, I can't make myself say those words to him. My inner soul taunts me, blocking my voice from releasing these feelings. I couldn't say them because if Jamie did like me, I'm not completely positive I would stay with Isaiah. Do I really care for Jamie in that way? I do adore Isaiah, but do I enjoy Jamie's company more?

Guilt still floats around in my mind, and I throw my head back impatient with myself. Isaiah grins, and sits me back up right.

"What is it now."

"I really should apologize to Jamie…"

"What for?"

Confusion flows over to me, and I close my eyes preparing myself for what is about to come.

"I did kinda know they would be here."

I feel the blush invade my cheeks, and I realize how truly stupid my actions were. Why did I ever think it was smart? Literally I thought I was genius at one point.

"Wait what?"

Sadness seems to leak though his answer.

"Well he really like Jess, and he always gets nervous around her, so I was afraid that the date might be going a little awkwardly. I thought that we could check up on them to see if there was anything we could do to help. Really I just want him to be happy."

It all comes out so fast I can barely register what I just said. Oh god he is going to hate me. This is it! The end of my dating career. I peek through my tightly shut eyes to analyze his reaction. Instead of the angry face I expected, Isaiah is laughing fully amused by my confession.

"Wow. You are very complicated Joy. I can see why you need to apologize to Jamie."

He stands and reaches down to help pull me up. I'm truly shocked he is taking this so well. The souls would not respond well to this kind of sneakiness.

"Uhhhh thanks for being so great about all of this." I turn to begin my search for Jamie, but Isaiah's grip is still in my hand. All of a sudden there is a tug, and I'm spinning towards his muscular body. Before I can refocus my balance, my lips are on top of his. My eyes basically pop out of m head, but all of my senses go straight to the source of the surprise. My heart is inflating with each passing moment, and my head grows light. His lips are soft and warm and a tingling sensation vibrates from the connection. My eyes flutter shut enjoying the instant, and I pull myself closer to him. I lose focus on the rest of the world, but thoughts of Jamie cause me to lightly pull away. I gaze up at his beautiful blue eyes still dazed from the kiss.

His signature wink greets me, and his cocky smile forms on his mouth.

"You just owe me another date now."

At that he lets go, and begins to walk the other direction toward his room. I stand staring at him with a mixture of shock and bliss. Wow that was…. Wow.

With a fog over my focus, I begin to walk my way out of the field. The voices come to me as a soft mummer. It barely registers as my head is still overwhelmed by Isaiah's surprise.

"Ian and Wanda were captured."

Oh that's interesting. I wonder who they are. Maybe they are souls who came to the caves. My thoughts dance around happily. My lips feel full and bright still, and I fantasize about his lips being on mine again.

"No! That's impossible!"

Wait Ian… Wanda…. Those names cause my bliss to empty out of me. Terror replaces it. My worst nightmares are coming true. My breathing picks up and I try to refocus to see if I misheard.

"Jamie they have been gone for days! It's the only explanation."

No, no, no. This isn't happening…

"We have to go save them."

I'm going to throw up. This is bad… so so bad!

"We can't."

"Why not!?"

This is all my fault. Why did I have to hit Ian? Why couldn't he have just knocked me out instead? More and more panic crash into me. My legs feel weak, and my already dizzy head spins.

"We have no idea where they are! Which facility they are in! We are useless and on a dead end path with information!"

Wait… that's the only reason they aren't going? Flashes of different holding facilities fill my mind. My dad took me on tours of them to show me the true process of soul placement. It was one of his fun father daughter activities we always went on when we traveled. The one in Tucson Arizona was one of his favorites. It is also the closest one to where I attacked Ian.

"So what's going to happen?"

I have to do something! I can't just sit here like a coward! I have to tell them what happened with Ian and I. They have to understand…. If they don't, maybe they will let me redeem myself.

"We can only hope they escape."

Bravery struggles to find its way to me. I'm terrified that as soon as I open my mouth they will throw me out. My hopes of fitting in and finding happiness will be left to die along with my body.

"And if they don't?"

My heart is beating frantically, and my brain is going crazy with the strong debate. Tell the truth or live here as a coward?

"We will have to evacuate the caves."

It's too much. If I don't confess their way of life will fall apart! They will have nowhere to run. All of them would be found in a heart beat! I came here to find peace and belonging. I left to give my parents a normal life; I wouldn't be able to live knowing I ruined the humans' lives. The wheat wall brushes sharply against my body when I burst through it. My voice is high and shrill with panic and fear.

"I know where to find them! I can lead you to where the souls took Ian and Wanda."

Shocked, bewildered eyes greet my face. It takes them a few seconds to realize exactly what I said. It's Jeb that's the first to recover. He folds his arms in front of his body and eyes me suspiciously.

"And how would you know this little missy?"

Here is my last chance to back out of my decision. I try to swallow down my fear, but my throat is dry. My will pushes me on further. I could never continue living here if I didn't try and save them.

"I was the one that knocked Ian out. I know where the holding facility is because I…."

My eyes drop, deathly afraid to see their reaction; to see Jamie's disappointment. I brace myself for the next line. How can I explain how I know where the holding facility is? Do I want to reveal my true identity or make up a lie that makes me seem worse then I already am?

**Alrighty everyone, hope this chapter did not disappoint! What did you think?**

** You got a tiny bit of a glimpse at what is happening with Ian and Wanda. Will they return to the caves? or is it another human group?**

**Now off to Joy... she got her first kiss! EEEPPP! but was it from the right guy? Do yo think she will tell the truth about who she is, or will she make up a lie? Only time will tell!**

**Remember to review/fav/follow! Those buttons will not bite! It will only make me write faster! :P**

**Happy reading and creativity everyone! :) **


	13. Chapter 13 Defiance

**First I would just like to say... I AM SO SORRY FOR THE LONG UPDATED! I have literally been so busy!**

**Anyway WOW! I can't believe the number of favs/follows! This is amazing and I love you all!**

**Special thanks to iloveIanO, Camille, KeishlaTheEpicwriter, swimgrl98, and ME4427 for your reviews! **

**Now Chapter 13! **

Jamie POV

Terror consumes her bright green eyes, and they seem to grow a slight shade of blue. There is a mixture of sadness, anxiety, and desperation. It must be complete chaos inside her mind's battle of thoughts, and the pause in her sentence intensifies my eagerness to see into her head. Mel looks as if she is going to strangle Joy if she doesn't spit out her reply soon. This could escalate very quickly.

Focus Jamie. Send her support; even though, there are still fragments of frustration toward Joy's fascination with Isaiah, I wipe away our past fight. At least she left the guy. He's nowhere to be seen, and that is all I need to regain some confidence. Serves him right too. Joy is way to good for him. At least I hope she ditched him, and it's not the other way around. True I would get to say I told-you so, but seeing Joy's brightness darken would be awful. I feel the need to reach out and guide her through her struggles.

The award silence continues, and Jeb releases a sigh of impatience which causes me to transfer my thoughts away from its continuous need to think about Joy. Instead my fear replaces the brief moment of triumph and I worry about Wanda and Ian. Jeb's loud voice scares Joy and she jumps as if he is going to attack her. What is going on with her? I wish she would realize she can trust us.

"Don't lie to us Joy. It's alright if you can't help. We will figure it out."

This time defeat drifts along her features, and my legs twitch to run over and wrap her up in my arms. I have no idea what Joy has been through in the past, but my instincts know it must have been difficult. One day I'll get her to tell me; one day I desperately hope she will trust me.

Joy's voice lifts in irritation, and finally she returns my stare. Her eyes bare into mine, and I feel the connection. It's strong and hypnotizing. I receive the message she is sending me. Her gaze tells me to trust her, to forgive her.

"Listen it's true! The night before you found me I was running from the seekers. They chased me into the desert, and I was terrified. I couldn't let them take me. "

Tears begin to form in the corners of her lids, but her deep breath puts up a dam to hold in the moisture. Automatically I know she has had a lot of practice hiding her emotions. That's what this world does to us; it hardens us.

"Suddenly Ian grabbed me, and my whole body moved automatically. Before I knew it, he was on the ground in front of me passed out. It was defense."

My brain struggles to keep up with her information. Why was she in the dessert alone? How did she learn to defend herself like that? _I_ barely know how to knock out a full-grown man. True I am not the strongest guy in the world, but neither is Joy! I mean I really hope she isn't a guy…that would be interesting.

"I ran after that. I swear it was an accent! I never meant to hurt him. I didn't know he was human! If I knew, I would have stayed to help. I'm so so sorry."

Everyone around us stares at her shocked. That answers our questions on how Ian was captured, but no one would have guessed it was because of Joy. The girl barely knows how to swing a hoe. Who knew she has advanced combat skills?

Paleness slides over her face as her eyes frantically search our responses for answers. When no one replies, the tears begin to roll down her white cheeks. This can't go on any longer. It was an accident; her guilt is for nothing. I wrap my arms tightly around her delicate frame, and her face digs into my chest. Her whole body falls into mine exhausted from the confession. My nose burrows into her blonde hair, and the smell of roses and sweetness greets me. Warm vibrations bounce though my body. How does she always do this to me? Even when our safe cave world is crumbling, this refreshingly quirky and surprising girl easily messes with all of my senses. I have got to figure myself out or she will be the death of me.

"Remind me to ask you to teach me some of your moves."

Her back bounces and a sob/laugh breaks from her mouth. Her lips move against my chest to a brief smile. Even the minor movement tickles and sends a swirl through my stomach. Mel and Jeb laugh at my comment, but they are both stiff and worried. The stress of the situation still holds strong in the air.

"That still doesn't answer how you know where Ian and Wanda are. We already knew they were captured."

Jared steps forward not amused by my joke. In fact he looks even more pissed then before. Can't he see she is trying? Being angry won't help us.

"At least we knew more then before."

He shakes his head and Mel backs away already preparing for his response. Shit what have I just done?

"Stop being an idiot Jamie. Knowing Joy brought Ian down does not help! You always say you want us to treat you like an adult, well stop acting like a kid. She has already caused us enough trouble, and now when she is just wasting time, you defend her. Stop focusing on the people you just met, and work to protect the ones you love! Don't betray your family for a stupid crush."

Oh I would love to just throw my fist and knock him hard in the jaw right now. If only I could just yell as loud as I can and defend myself like a crazy person. My anger almost bursts out, but I hold it in. I do this for two reasons. One Jared would 100 % kick my ass and second screaming back would only make it worse. Compose yourself Jamie. What would Mel want you to say? How would Jeb respond? My voice is calm and smooth.

"I'm only trying to relieve some of the tension. I don't think I am the one acting childish right now. You might need to check yourself for that."

Mel lifts her brows surprised by my comment. Nice job me. Way to be the mature one here. Jared opens his mouth to retaliate, but Mel's hand lands on his shoulder. His face whips around, but her glance seems to calm him. He blinks and Mel's eyes never leave his.

"I'm sorry. I just wish we could find Ian and Wanda. The outbreak was not called for."

His hand finds Mel's free one, and he grasps onto her tenderly. Jeb steps forward rubbing his hairy chin.

"Jared's right. The only hope is to figure out the location of where the seekers took them."

Joy suddenly disappears from my embrace, and my arms hang loosely by my side. The warm vibrations are replaced by dull emptiness. Looking at no one in particular, her response seems fast and rehearsed.

"They are at the seeker holding headquarters in Tucson. That… that was where I was held before I escaped. It's the only place available within miles."

This all is too bizarre. It's great that Joy knows, but my mind doubts her capability of escaping a seeker center on her own. I mean I questioned her fighting skills before, and clearly I was a complete idiot for that. But even in her face, there is something there that causes me to doubt. The irritating longing to crack inside to her past develops further. She is hiding something, but what? I wonder if Isaiah knows…. Stop that is not important!

Mel chimes in almost immediately.

"Great it's settled! We will go rescue them tomorrow! I'm sure Kyle and Doc will come to help."

Her grin meets mine and mentally I direct thank-yous to her. For one of the first times in my life, she is actually letting me participate. If only I could just jump around right now! But that, of course, would probably give me a one-way ticket to kitchen duty instead of the mission.

"Time to bring out the big guns!"

I reach out to high-five Mel, but Jeb catches me mid air. What now?

"I'm afraid we can't do that kiddos. Our first job is to figure out if Joy is correct."

Jared's raging voice returns back into the conversation.

"Jeb, Ian could be a soul any second! Wanda could be floating to a distant planet! We don't have time for check then attack."

"Now listen. I will not send you on a suicide mission if they aren't even in the building! You may be getting older, but I still call the shots! My decision is final!"

Mel steps forward with determination blazing.

"But!"

"NO! That's final! We can't risk loosing our best members! Now forget it and go to sleep. I'll go with Sunny to check out the facility tomorrow. Go get some rest. This is the end of the discussion."

His back greets us, and he strides out of the field before anyone could argue further. Mel and Jared are tense but regretfully shrug their shoulders. That's it? We are just giving up? Sometimes I really can't understand our little family. Mel reads my thoughts before I can say them aloud.

"Go to bed Jamie. Even though I don't agree, Jeb is still the boss."

That is the stupidest explanation I have ever heard. True Jeb could and would shot us for defying him, but we got the soul's healing power…. It would only hurt a little. Mel drags Jared back to their room, and Joy and I are the only ones left in the large space. My eyes can't help but glance over at her. Interestingly her mind is off in a distant world lost in deep thoughts. My arm snakes around her shoulders to begin ushering her out back to my room.

As we walk toward the other side of the cave, I realize Joy hasn't talked in a very long time. Should I ask what wrong? No it's Joy, she'll tell me if I need to know. Right? I'm sure she is overwhelmed. I mean the guilt she carried about Ian must have been eating her alive. It would have crushed me within the first day. Wow, Joy is a lot tougher then I dreamed. Maybe even stronger then me! But I would never really admit that.

It's only when we finally get to bed that her voice resurfaces.

"You all forgave me so easily. Even after I lied and betrayed you all for so long. Why?"

The shock of her declaration causes me to pause for a few seconds before replying.

"I mean it was an accident. We all would have done the same thing. It's like that old saying 'We're only human!' I guess that's why the aliens felt the need to take over… change it to 'We're perfect souls!' It's not as catchy though."

Why am I rambling? It's probably the stress of the evening. Between the disaster date, and the awful news, anyone would be a little off. But do I normally do this? I think I'm always this way for Joy. Why does she still hangout with me?

"But you barely know me. I hurt your family."

"It's like I said before, you are a part of our family now. I know, I know! It's cheesy, but honestly Joy, now that you are here, I can't imagine my life without you."

And it's true. If she were to disappear right now, I wouldn't be the same. Even in this short period of time, Joy has brightened my life like no one else could. She's my best friend, maybe possibly more. Not a sister, but something else… I just can't put a finger on it.

"You are nothing from what they said you would be."

Wait what? Did I hear that correctly?

"Who's they?"

Her voice turns an octave higher. "No one! I just didn't think there were any humans left. You all are more then I could have ever imagined."

"I know. I'm pretty awesome."

Joy presses her lips together and blows out air laughing at my comment. A pillow hits my head, and I return fire instantly.

"Way to break the serious vibe Jamie."

"I do what I must."

More sarcastic chuckles greet me.

"Whatever."

I hear her roll back around on her bed, and after a few minutes her breathing slows. I shut my eyes disappointed that our talk is over.

"Goodnight Joy."

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

A large bag collides with my stomach, and my eyes burst open as my fist swings to find contact with soft fabric mixed with hard metal. It winces in pain, but my adrenaline causes me to fly out of bed.

The night sky still paints the open holes above us, and my senses fly to the bright light coming from Joy's side of the room. Her face is illuminated in the dark, and I can see she holds a bag identical to mine. A mischievous smile plays on her lips. Determination folds into her eyes. This is going to be good.

"Now that you're up… Let's go save us some family members."

Ian's POV

The relief of all my senses reviving back to life fills my whole body with bliss. The continuous ringing aids my determination to break free from my cold metal restraints. My fingers numbly fiddle with the belts, and slowly I release each strap around me. My feet swing over the edge to greet the floor.

Next target Wanda.

I left my weight up out of the table, but instantly I fall onto the hard linoleum floor. Ok so maybe I don't have as much strength as I would like, but I have to make it work. This is my only shot to save her. I can't let her die. I can't lose my Wanda.

My strength powers through and fumblingly I stand again on two feet. My arms swing pathetically side to side as I dash for the door. My right foot is still numb, and it drags behind me. Stupid souls. Why couldn't they make a non-knock out gas. I mean they probably have one, but I am not in the right state to be looking for it. My growing willpower to see Wanda again is the only thing that keeps me balanced.

Once I reach the door, I tug on the knob to get to the hallway. Gunshots echo in the background, but my fear doesn't hold me back. I would rather die than know I cowardly hid while Wanda was in danger. Finally the door falls opens and the hallway seems to make the constant pounding louder. I can barely concentrate with the deafening bells. Quickly my eyes catch a sign that reads 'soul-holding unit'. That's where they must be keeping Wanda.

My limp struggle of a run gets me through the first part of my journey, but I'm interrupted by a seeker holding a gun to my face.

"Freeze! Or I will shot! We do not want to hurt you. Calmly come with me."

Shit! I can't exactly fight. Walking is enough of a struggle. What can I do? Different methods of attack fill my brain, but everything requires working body part. Screw it! Here goes nothing. I swing the upper part of my body as hard as I can manage. My lazy arms fly with it and it knocks the man square in the face. He is tossed to the side, and my vision spots a can of "Sleep" gas on he floor.

Before the seeker can recover I dive for my sudden source of salvation. My hands wrap around it, and I snap the cap off. The spray flows out of the can into the guy's mouth. He coughs a few times before he falls to the floor asleep.

Nice. Now he must have been guarding something. My bet is it was Wanda. I turn to the door, and through the window, my eyes fall onto her long blonde curls. The extra emotions from my discovery make opening the door effortless. My full range of motion returns, and I practically throw myself on top of her.

"Thank god! You are still here! We will not be separated again. Its you and me forever!"

Even though she is out cold and can't hear me, just saying these things makes me feel better. I know if we ever escape I will do anything so we will be together for the rest of our lives.

My arms lift her into the air, and I carry her light body to the door. This is it! We are going to make it out of here alive.

The metal is cold under my touch, but it is a refreshing reminder of my freedom ahead. My fingers twiddle with the door handle, but instead of turning with the metal, my hand slides along the round surface.

This isn't happening. It was unlocked a second ago! The fear leaks into me once again. We are trapped within the room.

**So what did you think? Was it worth the wait? I tried to throw in some seriousness, cuteness, and action! It has been a few weeks so i really hope I am not rusty!**

**So are you excited for Jamie and Joy's rescue mission? What do you think will happen? Will they make it out alive!**

**Again I am sorry for the long update. I have had no time to myself these past few weeks. I finally got the night off soooo I decided to use the time to the fullest! Hope again I did not disappoint! I really hope y'all are like "wow this was awesome and so worth the wait!" **

**Review/ fav/ follow! Don't be afraid to tell me what you think/ what you want to read! i love hearing suggestions and I will try to add it to my story! **

**Thanks everyone! happy reading and creativity! :)**


	14. Chapter 14 Showtime

**I am truly sorry! I have been absolutely horrible at updating recently! It is a new school year and I am trying to get into a rhythm, and I have clearly been epically failing! I feel so bad!**

**Anyway thank you for everyone who has been so patient with me and continued to have my story be part of their fav/follow list!**

**So thank you to ME4472, 12 (i laughed when i saw your comment!), Refrigerator-Burn, and Rebellion7 for your reviews! I love the feedback!**

Jess POV

The caves echo each footstep as Jamie and I make our way down the pitch-black hallway. The pitter-patter of feet is memorizing, and it helps me focus on the important task ahead. His feet seem to move effortlessly as they already have each route memorized. Me on the other hand… Let's just say I'm pretty sure my big toe is broken from the number of times I have stubbed it on a rock. My adrenaline pushes me forward, but with each passing second my once brilliant idea is slowly revealing it's true colors of sheer madness.

"Hey stop making so much noise back there."

His whisper is hardly audible, but it still causes me to jump. My foot suddenly comes into contact with yet another rock, and I want to shriek out with pain. My mouth tightly shuts as I hold in the yelp and tiny droplets of water evade the corners of my eyes.

Jamie's small chuckle greets me, and I run straight into his back. I almost fall over, but his arms catch me before I can hit the ground. The heat collides with me almost as hard as the last rock.

"Geez Joy, you can fight off a man, but you are sure lacking in the sneaky department."

His whisper dances with a tint of humor, and I can't help but smile. I also seem to notice that his arms are still around my body.

"I'm sorry!"

I make sure my reply is just as quiet as his even though the caves are completely empty. It's actually eerie with how quiet and still the whole place is; it's always buzzing with people. If I found this place at night, I would still think humans are extinct. Still I don't want to risk our chances of sneaking off. This is my one shot at redeeming myself, and the thoughts of failing are more terrifying than the mission. I can't let Jamie down again.

"Shhh geez stop making so much noise!" He continues to taunt me…

Even in blackness I know Jamie is staring down at me with a grin. Of course he is still playful at a time like this. I just want to smack him, but I hold back. He would for sure tell me I'm being too loud again. Typical Jamie. I sigh releasing a breath of joking frustration.

A long silence follows, and my senses focus on the heat that evades my skin from Jamie's arms. We don't move and I begin to feel eager to continue forward. Why is he hesitating? Can we just go already?

"Are you sure about this?"

The question is abrupt and the seriousness in it causes my nerves to swirl through my body. Am I sure? Do I really want to risk my new life for people I don't even know?

But I already know all of the answers to those questions. There is no doubt in my mind of what I want to do.

"Yes."

A sigh of relief (or is it a inhale of stress?) answers back at me, and I feel his body tense up against mine. I can't help but realize that the quick movement sends me a sense of security.

"Make sure you follow me the whole time. Also try to listen."

I can immediately tell there is true fear behind those words.

"Only if you'll listen to me in return."

The cold air crashes into me as his arms leave me.

"I think I might be starting to rub off on you."

Pride fills my heart; am I really starting to fit in or are Jamie and I are more similar then I once thought? Tiny fragments of pain run through my scalp as Jamie slightly pulls my hair to fasten a bandana around my head. My heart sinks as I slowly realize what the action implies.

"It's just for security reasons Joy. Everyone's going to be mad once they learn we left, so I just want them to be a little less angry with us."

Does he really not trust me? I guess I did take down his friend. But still I thought maybe we were more then that. I guess I wish we were past that stage. As if he read my thoughts his voice evades the quietness once again.

"Believe me Joy, I trust you."

Before I can respond his hands clasp around me again, and he throws me over his shoulder. My stomach bounces up and down with his body and my arms are jelly like and helpless swaying side to side.

"Is this necessary?"

Jamie flings me up slightly and I slam back into his shoulder. Ok really? Now he's just being cruel.

"Nope. But you are way too loud walking."

Well I can't really say I'm surprised. My eyes roll around dramatically, and it takes me a second to realize he can't see my retaliation so I sigh loudly instead. The silence continues as I sway along with Jamie's bouncy steps. I can't help but love the fact that his walk reminds me of happy young innocence. Ever since I left the souls I haven't seen this feature for a while. People in the caves are hard and act too old for their age. I guess they get it from the invasion; survival does so much to people. Jamie however still has that spark, and I can't get enough of him.

On the bright side, the journey is actually relaxing, and my eyes grow heavy. The smell of soap and bread makes my brain fluffy as if brushing the edges of dream world. I didn't get any sleep tonight because I was busy packing our bags with guns and emergency supplies such as "Sleep" and "Heal". It's hilarious because never in a million years would I ever see myself doing this. Sure I saw it in old human movies, but wow! I don't even feel like myself.

I hear a click, and my butt collides with soft car fabric as Jamie releases me from his hold. Carefully he unclasps the bandana from my head, and my vision blurs from the light that's on in the car. When I recover, Jamie's smiling face is the first that greet me. Confidence restores rapidly in my heart. Just as quickly the engine roars, and we go speeding off into the vast desert.

The bumpy ride of the journey seems to mix around my nerves even more. With each up and down motion my stomach turns and my throat works extra hard not to let anything pass. Dark black desert expands in front of us as we continue to come closer to the dot of light I suspect to be the city. However, the silence begins to creep in and annoy me. I feel as if we should be thinking of some plan, but I know if I open my mouth, all that will come out is word vomit. I barely even notice the sneaky little glances Jamie has been giving me.

"If you're going to puke, remember to roll down the window."

Oh boy here it comes. The chatter barf.

"Shouldn't we think of a plan? I mean there are going to be a lot of souls around the place, and I just don't know what to do. I have been trying to keep calm, but my mind is going in waves. And being near you just always makes me feel…"

I stop abruptly there. What was I about to say? I can't believe that almost came out of my mouth. See what random stuff appears when I can't control my thoughts. I really hope I was talking fast enough for him to not understand what I was saying. Jamie's cheeks seem to turn a slight shade redder, and a spark in his eye begs for me to finish my thought.

"Woah, Joy if you want to turn around we can. Don't feel pressured to go. It was your idea."

"NO! I'm ok. I just need to talk this out. Get an idea of what to do, so I am prepared."

Already just uttering these sentences to Jamie has helped soothe me. The once tense muscles in the back of my neck unwind sending me fragments of relief. Jamie's eyes focus on the path ahead, but I notice them bounce back and forth resisting the urge to stare in my direction. Lucky for me I can look all I want. Wait? Did I really just think that?

"Well you know the layout better then me. So as of right now, I was just going to walk in and attack."

"Seriously Jamie?! How have you survived this long?"

"Killer instinct."

My eyes fold into a glare pressuring him to tell the truth. He gasps in defeat.

"Fine Mel and Jeb. Happy?"

"No not really. That doesn't help with the rescue thing."

This time I get him to glare back and he throws in a funny face. Giggling I return the face sticking my tongue out of my mouth. Snap out of it Joy! Stop losing yourself whenever Jamie does something cute. Wait? Cute? Oh boy.

My brain struggles to recall the detailed map of the building from years ago. It's not quite as large as other towns, so actually finding Wanda and Ian will be easy.

"Alright well walking in will be our last desperate option."

"Thank-you!"

Jamie's interruption throws me off once again. The laugh that erupts is quick before I tell myself to focus once again.

"Stop interrupting! You promised to listen."

"Did I? I don't remember… But please continue."

I hesitate searching his face for any form of seriousness, but all that remains is the goofy smile.

"So anyway… there is a back entrance by the dumpsters. Most likely it will be locked, but there won't be any guards by it."

"Sweet! The back door then! See Joy, easy as hell."

Did he not hear me?

"Jamie, the door is locked…"

"So we can just shoot it or something."

He shrugs his shoulders like it's obvious. I guess he does have a point. That would unlock the thing.

"That will attract attention to us… The guards will be in the back in no time."

I examine his lips as they frown at my point. His face slowly reveals his different thoughts as he tries to work the puzzle in his mind.

"We should make another distraction then. Maybe then at least one of us could sneak in."

The idea hits my brain like a bullet. It will be risky, but I know it's the only way.

"I'll set the alarms off in the back, and you'll go in through the front. The seekers will chase me, and you'll have a clear path."

The goofy smile disappears so fast a blink would have caused me to miss it. His face goes white, and there is almost anger in his brow. I have to talk him into this. If I get caught, there will be fewer consequences. The seekers will let me live, but Jamie would be a goner. My stomach heaves at the thought.

"No! Absolutely not. I'll be the distraction. "

How can I do this? What will convince Jamie to say yes?

"Look, I know the building better than you do. It will be less dangerous that way. Besides with me they will send every seeker."

My teeth nibble my lip as I anxiously wait for Jamie's response. I can't take his seriousness; it claws at my brain while I try to read his every thought. Just say yes!

"Why do you say all the seekers will come after you?"

Shit. I should have left that part out. Quick what do I say? The response is fast, quick, and it springs out of my mouth before I can really think about it logically.

"I was a past prisoner. They will be looking for me."

Doubt runs through his features, but he doesn't press for more information. Another reason why I love Jamie, he never pressures me to expose my past. Now that I think about it, I really don't know his past either.

"Alright so you trip the alarm in the back, and I'll go in the front."

I notice his hands grip and un-grip the steering wheel clearly not happy with our final decision. His knuckles flash white and pink. Suddenly uncomfortable I shift my body to see him better. Just remember Joy; it's for the best.

"Jamie I'll be alright. I have had years of self-defense classes."

The car jerks as the engine stops grumbling. I didn't even notice we were in the city already. The night stars are above twinkling freely and happily, and I find myself wishing that we could be amongst the open, blissful places. Jamie's body fully turns toward me, and his eyes transfer confusion and determination.

"How did you get years of self-defense Joy? I know you want me to trust you, but I keep getting this feeling that you're hiding secrets from me. Please just tell me the truth or at least let me know I'm being stupid."

My heart sinks to my stomach, and a thump in my throat causes my voice to disappear. My mouth opens and closes like a dumb frog, but no matter how hard I try, a lie can't come though. My inner soul is at work forcing the truth to sneak its way up. If I tell him I am the President's daughter now, he'll think I'm double crossing him. He'll think I'm leading him into a trip. I just can't do it. I want to cry and run away, but instead I break eye contact and open the door. My vision fills with blurry water, and I try to get the image of Jamie's face out of my baffled head. His desperate glance splits me in two. I swallow down my short moment of weakness, and strive to discover any source of confidence and bravery.

"My parents were very paranoid so they trained me. You're just being stupid."

HA! He will never believe that. I wouldn't even convince a gullible goldfish. The sound of a door slamming pounds against me, and it stings as my mind strains to reassure myself I made the right decision.

Pink begins to paint itself across the parking lot as the sun begins to rise over the golden sand. My body can sense Jamie before he even touches me. Even at a distance the heat is strong.

"Alright. I hope you'll trust me enough to tell me one day."

The disappointment is barely covered by his optimism which only strengthens my urge to scream out the truth. I wish I could tell him! But I can't lose him or the other humans. I'm just too damn selfish; another reason why I couldn't live with the souls. Another reason I don't deserve to live in the caves. Jamie's hand brushes my shoulder as he spins me around. His deep chocolate eyes engulf me.

"You ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be."

The nerves build, but I hold them down with the thoughts of finally being free of my guilt. Once Ian and Wanda are back I can relax, and the life in the caves will be wonderful. Jamie and I can continue being friends. But why does friends not settle right?

The intensity in Jamie's eyes send shivers down my spine.

"Be safe. Don't go into the building if you think it's too dangerous. We'll meet back at the car three hours after the alarm goes off. Leave me if I am not back in time. The keys are under the seat. "

I just continue to nod my head frazzled that this is going to happen in less then 10 minutes.

"Once last thing."

The intensity in his stare grows stronger, and the force pulls on me to shorten the distance between us. His eyes are desperate and confused as if he is trying to decide if he should commit to his next action or not. My heart rate picks up and I know exactly what I want him to do, but I'm terrified at the same time. There is desire and longing, but it vanishes in an instant. His hands let go of my arms, and his palm dumbly pats my shoulder.

"Good luck."

At that he turns and begins to walk towards the target building a few blocks down the street.

My brain tries to grasp everything that just occurred, but it's all in a daze. What was that? What exactly did I want to happen? For shits shake Joy! You are about to walk into a death trap! Focus on the mission.

My legs begin their journey to the back door of the facility. The streets are quiet and there are birds chirping and announcing the new day. My ears try to solely focus on the peaceful noises, but my senses only find my stomach swirling. Flashes of my last night in the city fill my vision, and my head shakes attempting to rid of the horrible experience. I escaped once, I can do it again.

Too quickly I arrive at the back door. The shinny metal reflects myself back at me. I haven't been able to see my reflection in weeks so my eyes immediately scan my whole body. If only my parents could see me now. They would literally faint at the sight. I am in all black with a gun tightly strapped to my side. My muscles are more defined as my fluffiness has disappeared completely. My golden hair has grown a few inches, and it is edgy and free unlike my once slick, neat hairstyles. The warmth in my heart spreads throughout my entire bloodstream; I love this new me. This exciting realization causes my confidence to return, and I am ready. This is the strongest I have ever been both mentally and physically. These seekers don't stand a chance.

My arm lifts the heavy gun, and I shoot the door handle until it falls limp to the side. The door cracks open as the alarm begins screaming through the hallways.

Showtime.

I kick the door open even wider and I patiently wait for the seekers to find me. My eyes scan the building map searching for any place to hide or run. I engrave it into my head when the footsteps begin to build. The first one zooms out from behind a corner lifting a stun gun to me.

"FREEZE!"

His mouth falls as his brain registers who I am. My lips quickly jump to a smile.

"Code red! Code red. It's the President's daughter. All units report! I have come into contact with the President's daughter. "

The adrenaline fills every inch of me, and I suddenly feel more assured then I ever have. Where did this come from? How did I go from the quiet freak to the freak that takes on a facility full of seekers! Oh well I might as well just go with it.

"How sweet! You remember me."

**SOOOO same question as usual... what did you think!? There was a lot of Jamie and Joy drama, but I feel like we were all in need of some of that. Also its time for some action! The next chapter will be packed full of guns, rescueness, and running! AND ACTION! so yeah... get excited**

**As I said earlier I am sorry for the slow updates! I really do try to aim for once a week, but sometimes I barely have time to myself... and when I do... I sleep! So i will try to be better about updating! I promise. Still please be patient with me! I don't like updating my story unless I love the chapter. But reviewing/favoriting/following will help the process... I PROMISE! Literally it's like I see a review and I start to write! (ps sorry for grammar mistakes... there might be more then usual cuz I literally was so excited to update)**

**Also side note... i know a lot of people kinda of just stop writing stories sometimes... just know that is NOT me. No matter what I shall finish this book! cool glad that's clear haha**

**Anyway let me know what you think. Tell me what you want to see more of... action/romance/drama/certain characters? **

**I love you all and thanks for sticking with me so far! Remember review/follow/fav! Hit those buttons don't be shy. alright I'm done being annoying now. Happy creativity and reading everyone! :)**


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